Decision making is a process

An interview with Marvin Brubacher

Have you ever felt paralyzed, and unable to make a tough decision? Paralysis in decision-making can be overcome using Colin Powell’s 40 to 70 percent rule of thumb, advises Marvin Brubacher. You should have no less than 40 percent and no more than 70 percent of the information you need to make an important decision. With less than forty percent you’re shooting from the hip, and not as prepared as needed. With more than seventy percent, opportunities may be lost.  In other words, don’t sacrifice quality for speed and don’t sacrifice action for certainty.

Marvin Brubacher shares his personal four-part process for making decisions and then advises “make sure your heart’s right and don’t rush!”  His four-part process is: 1. Identify the decision to be made; 2. Gather information; 3. Assess alternative options; 4. Gather as many people to your team as possible. No step can be ignored. There’s a difference between reversible and irreversible decision making, since it is hard to backtrack on life changing choices. Watch out for pride.  Avoiding this pitfall produces two results: first, a willingness to seek advice from others; secondly, an ability to cherish the team God has given you to lead.

Marvin’s Story: Making a difficult decision, especially when others oppose a plan, must be done with great humility, wisdom and careful consideration.  Pray and trust God to open or close doors. Marvin tells the story of the day he had to say, “this is the way it’s going to be.”  The Bible College he was leading needed to find a suitable new location. The idea of relocating to Cambridge became a possibility.  They found property with one building, but its chief drawback was that it had no residence buildings for students. They negotiated a verbal agreement with a nearby Holiday Inn to house students for two years. However, the rug was pulled out from under this plan when the hotel was unexpectedly  sold to new owners who opposed the verbal partnership agreement.

Back to the drawing board! It was now April, and classes were scheduled to start in September. Without housing for students, what could they do, to solve this dilemma? Fortunately, they did already have an approved site plan in place to construct a series of residence buildings, ten apartments each, four students per apartment. Without money in place Marvin and his team were miraculously able to negotiate a deal with builder contactors they knew  who promised a mid-November completion date – assuming no down time delays.

Still, there was a problem. Classes were starting in September. Where would the students live September to November? The idea of boarding students with Cambridge church families although there was no relationship yet with these churches – seemed scary, and not everyone agreed with it. After prayer and much discussion, Marvin felt a peace to proceed despite some opposition to say, “this is the way it’s going to be.” Time proved him right. Students were told, “the way you behave will make this a blessing or a curse for our college – be helpful, considerate and show appreciation, whenever possible.” Taking this advice to heart, the students loved their host families, and host families delighted in the students. As a result, the college was warmly welcomed.

Biblical Principles Revealed

• Humility means submitting to God’s will, trusting Him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV.

• Obedience involves guarding your heart and seeking to please God.  Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 NIV

• Peace surpasses our understanding. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

In conclusion, making good decisions matters because it reveals your inner heart’s relationship with the Master.  Your heart’s motivation plus your attitude towards others becomes visible. Building a caring community that serves one another, sharing in values such as grace, love and humility, will produce stronger collaboration and unity.

 People love to follow leaders who obey God first and who care about the people around them. Try showing respect through listening well, then after prayerfully weighing options, confidently take action.  Following biblical principles for decision-making results in a harvest of peace and rest!

“Connecting Your Sunday Faith to Your Monday Work”

The Canadian Christian Business Federation exists to support business leaders in the study and application of Biblical Leadership Principles with peers, in order to transform lives, strengthen businesses, and positively influence and impact our world. www.ccbf.org

Nancy Kingdon is an author and freelance writer who writes and donates these storieas a gift to the CCBF ministry.  She may be reached through: www.writinglegacy.com