Page 190 - Everything I Know About Business I Learned

Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald’s

me to get inside all decisions as they were made and watch how
the process—and sometimes the lack of process—led to actions.
It forced me to explain the regional manager’s perspective with
an objective factual side, which showed me that good decisions
are made with a balance of both.
On one notable episode, the regional manager literally left the
restaurant in disgust over steeper-than-suggested menu board pric-
ing, not wanting to get into an argument with the operator. Sud-
denly, I was left there trying to resolve the situation with the
operator. I managed to get the conversation back on track and
even convinced the operator to compromise after some careful
review. By this point, after all the lively debates with my colleagues,
I was well versed in expressing solid points even in the most heated
scenarios. So, I reached into my repertoire of tools to communi-
cate to the operator the importance behind the pricing and to say
that I’d smooth things over with the regional manager.
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It also forced me into a deep understanding of the power of
good information and how it can sway the decision-making pro-
cess. All too often I had witnessed “decision paralysis” that
many otherwise talented individuals could not get past—they
simply lacked the ability to make a decision and consider its
impact on leading a group of people. In many cases that inabil-
ity to react and make decisions prevented some from achieving
their potential, or simply becoming more effective leaders.

Lesson Learned

All decisions should be made with three key essentials:

1. Factual data and research
2. Input from staff and individuals close to the situation
3. Your own instincts and experience