Growing up, my parents had four children and the cost for me to have braces was a difficult proposition. An orthodontist in town agreed to take me on as a case study and minimally charge my parents. They’d remove my braces every visit, take a mold, and put them back on to show progress.

Every month, I had to sit in the same chair, which had a poster on the ceiling that still stands out in my memory. It said: Not to decide is to decide.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used that phrase in conversations with clients and colleagues on various issues in the past few months. My orthodontist’s poster says it best: if we don’t make a decision, we actually are making a decision.

  • If you don’t decide to do anything about underperforming clients or acceptance policies, you’re choosing to keep work that could challenge your employees’ capacity and satisfaction while impacting your firm’s financial performance.
  • If you don’t decide to have clarity regarding remote work, you’re not trying to reach the best possible candidates in today’s market.
  • If you don’t decide to explore a merger and acquisition (either up or down), you’re opting to grow organically.

You’ve undoubtedly heard about and discussed these trending issues and others, researched the pros and cons, and still aren’t sure what to do. I’m not saying one way or the other – making a change or staying put – is wrong. You know one decision may be best for your firm, but you’re just not ready to pull the trigger. Before you know it, the days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and all the time spent thinking and talking about the decision begins to feel like a waste of time, not to mention you haven’t moved the needle much on achieving your goals.

On the whole, firm leaders tend to be afraid to make decisions. It’s in your blood as accountants, who are taught to avoid risk and over-analyze every decision. Whichever way you go will present opportunities and challenges. However, not making a decision actually sends the message you’re not clear about the firm’s future and what you want from your team. Side note: employees looking for clarity also become frustrated, which leads to lower productivity and retention issues.

It’s a hard truth firm leaders face every day, but waiting too long to make decisions can slow your operations and growth. If you’re not sure what needs to be done or how it best fits into your overall strategy, then it’s easy for opportunities to slip through your fingers. Here are a few tactics that can help you make a decision.

  • Take your time (if possible), but don’t wait too long.
  • List all the pros and cons.
  • Contemplate how your decision will impact your short- and long-term strategic plan.
  • Consider all potential outcomes from each side of the decision. Then, walk away, take a break for a few hours or a few days, come back, and look at the issue with a fresh perspective.

I prefer to be intentional in my work and am comfortable making change (where change is needed) or in trying new things. I also know that’s not how everyone operates. However, not making a decision actually can send the message you’re not clear about the future of the firm and what you want from your team.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I shared six fundamentals to help leaders lead with optimism during uncertain times. As I review those, agility really stands out. If the pandemic has taught leaders anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. Leaders must be able to evolve and adapt. The biggest takeaway is, “If something doesn’t work, don’t waste time by getting stuck in frustration and never-ending analysis. Learn from the situation and build on it moving forward.”

I say this is the biggest takeaway because, for the most part, no decision is ever final. You can always change course if something’s not working out, but until you take a stance and give it the old college try, you’ll never know if you made the right call to benefit your firm and your team.

When I work with a firm to help align their partners for the future, I’m there to assist them in reaching clarity on their goals in key areas of focus: strategy, culture, performance, succession, business planning, growth, and people, to name a few. How can I help you find clarity to make a decision and move your firm forward?