Stop the Stress of Choice

Too many choices can make your organization sick.

Studies show that people feel less happy when they have too many choices. Why is that? Choosing means making decisions, each one causing stress. The same applies to organizations. They become stressed as a result of too much choice.

Let me ask you this: how many decisions do you need to make each day because things are unclear? Nota bene: the procrastination of a task is also a decision. More than 100 decisions per day is a realistic number. Now, do the math: Multiply the number of decisions by the number of employees, and the result is a stunningly high number. Most of those decisions cause stress–some less, some more–and stress reduces your organization's performance.

Now, imagine reducing the number of necessary decisions in your organization through greater clarity. This includes a clear vision, clear strategy, clear processes, and clear responsibilities, supported by excellent leadership, leading in a well-defined direction.

Much as in your personal life, clarity leads to higher performance. Reduced stress and greater clarity can drive your organization's performance more than any sophisticated new quality assurance program.

Think of this before you kick off the next initiative and add another bunch of (likely unnecessary) choices.

And if you still need to make decisions then listen to our podcast first.

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