Timely decision-making

A good friend of mine is an entrepreneur with keen business skills.

One of his practices that I particularly appreciate is the decision calendar. (I don’t know what he really calls it, but “decision calendar” is an approximate description.)

The basic formula is this: “If x doesn’t happen by [specific date], then y.”

If the contract isn’t signed by September 1st, then we consider the opportunity dead.
If the customer doesn’t reply by next week, we’ll reach out to them.
If we don’t reach our sales goal this quarter, we’ll pause and reevaluate the business model.

By setting a decision to a calendar date, the unknowingness of waiting is made easier. The work isn’t easier, but the question of, “How long do we wait?” is answered.

The practice puts a framework in place that outlines our next steps, acknowledges what’s outside our control, and keeps us from locking into a holding pattern.

H/T RPA