Taking the Easy Choice

You have to make a very difficult call to an unsatisfied customer. Do you:

a) make the call?

b) tidy your desk?

c) play a game on your iPhone/computer?

If your normal response to a situation like this is a) then you don’t need to read this post, except perhaps to wonder what on earth the problem is supposed to be.

If you normally go for b) then you usually take the easy choice, and it would be a good idea to learn to strengthen your choice muscle.

If c) would be your reaction, then you are not just taking the easy choice - you are withdrawing from the game altogether. You badly need to make stronger choices.

One of the most common characteristics of bad time managers is that they have a definite tendency to take the easy choice.

Taking the easy choice results in things like:

• Reluctance to go outside one’s comfort zone
• Procrastination
• Proliferation of busy work
• Difficulty in taking decisions where there is no easy choice
• Making excuses
• Falling into the activity trap

This is something that can improve with training. And it’s well-worth doing. Strengthening one’s ability to take the more difficult choice will make a lot of difference in life.

Comments

[Alan Baljeu]

I have a tendency to (b) and (c), which I strive to overcome. I'm also likely in this example to
(d) Think through the details of the conversation and what I can say.

[Paul T]

I would choose b) and c) until I really had to do a). I would love to strengthen my choice muscle, any ideas on how please? I've a sneaky feeling I might take the easy option though.