Here is today's quick question for you...​Why does this decision feel hard?

Sometimes, a pros and cons list just doesn’t cut it. When a choice feels unusually tough, it's often because something else is going on. Maybe it challenges our values, our identity, or our vision of the future. Decode that difficulty is the key to simplifying the decision.

Ask it when you're...

1. Procrastinating - When you find yourself avoiding a decision that looks simple on paper, consider why you might be resisting.

2. Feeling disproportionately uncomfortable - If the emotional weight doesn't match the practical stakes, there's usually something underneath worth exploring.

3. Getting conflicting advice - When trusted advisors are pulling you in different directions, the difficulty might stem from competing values rather than unclear facts.

Ask it when you're...

1. Second-guessing a decision - When that familiar doubt settles in, this question helps distinguish between healthy reflection and destructive rumination.

2. Facing a high-stakes choice - Before you commit, getting clear on your success criteria prevents you from shifting the goalposts later when pressure increases.

3. Leading through uncertainty - When your team is looking to you for confidence, acknowledging that "rightness" is often unattainable rather than predetermined can increase their trust in your leadership.

Here is today's quick question for you...​How will we know we’ve made the right choice?

This question keeps many leaders up at night. Big decisions made with incomplete information are revisited and sometimes relitigated. The concept of ‘rightness’ is the topic of many debates in coaching sessions with my clients.

Ask it when you're...

1. Second-guessing a decision - When that familiar doubt settles in, this question helps distinguish between healthy reflection and destructive rumination.

2. Facing a high-stakes choice - Before you commit, getting clear on your success criteria prevents you from shifting the goalposts later when pressure increases.

3. Leading through uncertainty - When your team is looking to you for confidence, acknowledging that "rightness" is often unattainable rather than predetermined can increase their trust in your leadership.

Here is today's quick question for you...​What if we do nothing?

Those of you with a strong bias for action are probably feeling pretty uncomfortable right about now. And if you like to ponder deeply before deciding, I suspect you’re loving this question.

Ask it when you're...

1. Feeling like none of the options are right - When there’s pressure to do something, but nothing feels right, stopping to consider the ‘do nothing’ option can unlock the path to a good decision.

2. Resisting momentum - If you feel like the train is running way too fast and quick-fire decisions are creating risk, then a ‘do nothing’ prompt can be a helpful circuit breaker.

3. Burned out - Maybe your team needs a break, and a ‘do nothing’ day would give them a fresh perspective and energy.

Here is today's quick question for you...​What happens if we wait?

Balancing prudent decision making and a bias for action can be tough, especially when under pressure. Understanding the impact of time can help navigate this challenge.

Ask it when you're...

1. Feeling the need for more data - Seeking more data can create the impression of safety or prudence, but what if the delay has other implications?

2. Sensing hesitation or conservatism from your colleagues - Getting others to acknowledge the impact of waiting can create greater understanding of the benefits and risks that waiting may produce.

3. In a team that rushes to decisions - This question may increase understanding of the benefits of a more considered approach. It may also create space for new information or dynamics to present themselves.