Adhering to these criteria will help you avoid regrets.

Current economic conditions may cause indecisiveness for practice leaders like you. What’s more, a practice that is not well-equipped with a defined decision-making process may become stymied when facing multiple issues. Couple that with the challenge of multiple decision-makers in one practice, and it can be difficult to reach decisions that last.

Decisions can be rescinded, of course, but such backpedaling wreaks havoc on staff. When decisions are not consistently supported, staff members respond with an unwillingness to spend precious time implementing a plan that they fear will be revoked. This makes implementation less effective and results less impactful.

CHECKLIST FOR SOUND DECISIONS

To avoid that outcome, decisions must be carefully made at the start and then adhered to. In fact, good decision-making is critical for flexing and adapting to changing markets (like the one we face today). It moves people toward a vision and practice culture where everyone can thrive regardless of external forces. Knowing that, here are eight tips to enhance the decision-making process in your practice.

1. Consider your vision. Evaluate the current situation against your practice vision. Having clarity on the desired future state of your business is necessary for creating a barometer to measure important decisions against. It allows you to answer this key question for every suggested strategy: Will this move us closer to our vision?
2. Prepare the right information. When trying to determine the best path forward, it’s critical to analyze all available information. In this information era, data is plentiful, but it can be overwhelming. As a leader, you may wonder how to cull information into meaningful data to ensure the best decision is made. Hint: use the acronym NICQL.
   • Need — What is the true need? How does it relate to the practice vision and key strategic imperatives?
   • Importance — How important is this issue, especially compared to other initiatives? Again, consider your vision and strategic action plan.
   • Consequences — What is the downside of not making an immediate decision? What are the pros and cons of the issue?
   • Quantify — What is the financial impact (costs, expected revenue, etc.) of the issue? How many people are affected? What percentage of your business does it affect? How long would implementation take?
   • Listen — Who needs to be involved in making the decision? Listen to the perspectives of those affected.
3. Ensure inclusive discussion. Let every voice be heard, ensuring that anyone who may not agree with the majority gets the floor. To have a productive discussion, establish some ground rules. For example, be respectful, don’t attack others for their opinion and assure that “what happens in the board room, stays in the board room.” These rules will lend civility to these potentially intense conversations.
4. Know your audience. Listening and speaking with other decision-makers in advance of a vote will let you know where everyone stands on the issue. Don’t be afraid to address differing opinions. Knowing objections beforehand will guide your preparation of supporting information before the issue goes to a formal decision.
5. Take your time. For big decisions, it is especially important to take your time, even though it seems like there is never enough time. Decisions reached through thoughtful consideration are easier for the entire decision-making body to accept, giving everyone the confidence to move forward.
6. Vote twice. It is hard to make a final decision without seeing the project plan and how its implementation will impact the practice. In cases of big projects, it is wise to get initial approval on the concept and budget. Then, put together a project plan and present it for final approval to proceed.
7. Gain a champion. Depending on the decision, it is sometimes easier to get approval to “test” a concept before introducing it to the entire practice. This offers multiple advantages. First, it usually allows a key physician to become the champion of the program, which helps reassure any shareholders who may have initially opposed the idea. Second, it allows for refinement of processes, making subsequent users feel more confident about the program and its rollout.
8. Stay the course. Once the final decision is made, all practice leaders should publicly support its implementation. This will foster buy-in from the staff who will help carry out the decision and impact its ultimate success.

ACT

Aristotle once said, “Well begun is half done.” To get you started, use the tips shared here. Making thoughtful, effective decisions will improve your practice and create an environment where staff, management and physicians can thrive — and when your people thrive, so do your patients. OM

Maureen Waddle, MBA, is a principal and senior consultant of BSM Consulting. She has more than 30 years of experience in the eye-care industry, working mostly with ophthalmic practices and ASCs.

Megan Weiss is a client support services manager at BSM. She has nearly two decades of customer service experience in various industries.