I don't have aBusiness brain. My husband rarely discusses what is going on at work with me because I usually get the wrong end of the stick. But here's a story of how my non-business-related experience helped him navigate a tough business decision.
Recently, we were having a chat with our daughter on WhatsApp. She lives in the UK and has an excellent job with a great company. Days earlier, she had been telling us excitedly about her plans for the future. Friends had invited her to share a house with them in order to save on living expenses, and a proposal had been made at work that she step into a management position. Then her boss dropped a bombshell. The companies contract had not been renewed. Suddenly, all our daughter's well-laid plans were up in the air.
It appeared she had two choices. She could either stick with the client and continue working for a different company whom she didn't know, or she could move with her existing company to a different client in the north. Staying where she was would mean she could move in with her friends as planned, but there was no guarantee her new boss would advance her career or even recognise her skill set. Moving with her company would mean more management opportunities, but she would have to start all over again building a community. The decision seemed impossible. How could she know what was best for her with so many variables in the mix.
My suggestion was this: pick any choice and live with it for a couple of days. Just act as if you've decided and don't question it. That way, you will have an opportunity to watch your own feelings. Notice whether the choice you are living with makes you feel anxious or relaxed. Then, do the same with the other option. Again, watch your feelings.
My daughter thanked me for the idea and our conversation moved on. A week later, my husband returned from a two-day business strategy workshop, saying,"That decision-making method of yours really works!"
Surprised, I asked him, "what do you mean? Did you try it out with your team?"
"I did," he said with a grin. "And it worked like a charm. Where did you learn it?"
Well, I had to tell him. The idea isn't a new one. In fact, it is pretty ancient. I had picked it up during my training to be a prayer guide with the Jesuit Institute. The technique is taught in the sixteenth-century retreat manual compiled by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Writing about the discernment of spirits, he exhorted those trying to make a decision about God's call on their lives to pray for the grace to "try to be like a balance at equilibrium, without leaning to one side or the other" [Spiritual Exercises, 179].
My husband hadn't known the background, but he was still able to implement the approach when it came to making a very tricky business decision. He encouraged his team-members to be open to both options and take each very seriously. There wasn't a right or wrong way. No-one could predict what the value of the currency would be in three months' time, or whether government's policy would change, or how much demand there would be for their product. The only thing they could know was what felt right when they lived with it for a prescribed time.
My husband told me that, thanks to this method of decision-making, his team were able to focus on one option at a time and face the hard consequences of each choice. It took the stress out of the process because people on both sides of the discussion knew their concerns would be fully heard.
I'm grateful for the opportunity I received to learn Ignatian discernment at the Jesuit Institute. Also, that I can pass on the lessons to others. I hope the method can help you in your life. It really does take away the stress of uncertainty and Bring clarity to your heart and mind.
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