Decision Making Coaching

I was stuck in an endless loop of overthinking a major career change. So, I went for a run in the pouring rain to clear my head. I had 30 minutes. Soaked shoes. And just me with my thoughts. I asked myself one question: "What's it going to be?" Keep playing the corporate game that never felt right, or finally back myself and build a coaching business? By the time I got home, drenched to the bone, I already knew the answer. The clarity I found in that brief, focused reflection outperformed weeks of analysis paralysis. Here's what I've learned since building my coaching practice: The most successful leaders don't analyze more, they reflect better. When my clients feel stuck, we use a simple visual tool - circles representing different states of being relative to their challenges. This structured 10-minute exercise consistently unlocks more insight than hours of unstructured analysis. Why? Because brief, structured reflection creates the space to see situations with clarity without the mental fog of overthinking. So, set a timer for 10 minutes. Draw three circles - where you are now, where you want to be, and what's in between. It might just change everything. What's one decision you've been overthinking that could benefit from structured reflection instead? #LeadershipDevelopment #DecisionMaking #ExecutiveCoaching

The #1 mistake leaders make in decision conversations: Jumping straight to solutions. It looks like this: Team member: "I'm stuck on this decision..." Leader: "Oh, you should do X!" As a Decision Engineer and Faculty Coach at Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, I see this pattern every day. But here's what great leaders understand: Telling someone what to do doesn't build decision-making muscle. It creates dependence, not competence. Here's the framework we at BECI teach leaders to develop stronger teams: 1️⃣ Topic First, name the challenge they're wrestling with. 2️⃣ Goal Define what needs to be achieved in THIS conversation. (These are different - and that distinction matters!) 3️⃣ Reality Explore the full context. What's actually happening? 4️⃣ Options Only NOW do we start exploring possible paths forward. 5️⃣ Way Forward Convert insights into concrete next steps. The magic happens when you resist jumping to options. When you start with context and clarity, you teach your team to: → Break overwhelming decisions into manageable pieces → Identify where they're truly stuck → See patterns in their decision-making process But when you rush to solutions? You rob them of the chance to develop these crucial skills. Think about it: What serves your team better - giving them one answer today, or helping them make better decisions for years to come? The best leaders don't just solve problems. They build their team's capacity to solve problems themselves. What's one way you develop decision-making skills in your team? Drop it in the comments ⬇️ -- Hi! I'm Michelle - Decision Engineer, Executive Coach, & Speaker. If you want to learn how to make decisions with less stress and more clarity, follow for more. If you'd like to bring decision frameworks to your team, send me a DM.

Feel like your team can't make decisions without you? Sick of always hearing, “I have a question.” I was too, until I realized how to fix it. 👇 If you’re anything like me, one thing that drives me crazy is when someone on my team asks: 🤷♂️ “I ran into this problem; what should I do?” Early in my career, this question came up on the regular. And I was annoyed (on the regular!). Why? It meant that I had to stop what I was doing and show them how to solve the problem. It wasn't until a mentor explained to me that this will continue to happen until I learned how to lead my team to make decisions WITHOUT my input. But how does that even work? You have to coach your team to climb the 4 rung ladder of decision-making. 👉 Here's how: 1️⃣ First Rung: Your team member comes to you with a problem. Instead of solving it for them, ask them to come back with 3 possible solutions. This step is about shifting from problems to solutions. 2️⃣ Second Rung: Over time, they will start to come to you with problems AND solutions. Once this happens, ask them to come back with their recommendation and why they chose it. This stage is about instilling confidence in their decision-making abilities. 3️⃣ Third Rung: They come to you with a problem, 3 possible solutions, and a recommendation. Let them move forward with their recommendation - even if it isn't the best solution. Coach them on the outcome (good or bad). This is where empowerment and autonomy come in. 4️⃣Fourth Rung: They solve the problem themselves and inform you after the fact. This is the ultimate goal. Next time someone comes to you with a problem ask yourself: Where they are on the ladder? Avoid the temptation to just solve the problem.   Instead, invest in coaching your team and teaching them how you think through problems. 📌 PS - Looking for more tips on how to become a better leader or scale your firm? Then you won’t want to miss my weekly newsletter, The 5 Minute Fractional CFO! Every Friday, I share 1 actionable tip to help you start, scale, or optimize your fractional CFO services. You can sign up in the comments below. 👇 #fractionalcfo #virtualcfo