"There is no more miserable person than the one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision." William James Tony dated Carol 15 years before proposing. Then, after five years of a rocky relationship, he debated divorce for 10 years. At fifty, Tony spent half his life in the state of matrimonial indecision. But that was his pattern. As a lawyer, he can easily suggest decisions for others, but not for himself. For Tony, making a selection from the simplest set of choices was an ordeal. Decisions demand decisions and Tony hates to decide anything. Even what to order from a menu. Tony is one extreme, the other is the reckless and impetuous character that confuses the ability to make “tough decisions” with “do it now and dam the consequences.” There are souls who will decide to buy a house the moment they see it. They will call their stockbroker and bark a buy order with the air of authority, but no facts. They marry in an instant, because they are infatuated and it “feels good.” They have no fear deciding anything--but too many times they are wrong. Many screenplay writers who have no understanding of the business world show sharp entrepreneurs as “tough decision makers.” Characters who are able to make difficult choices in a second, and without fail, always on the money. To the unwashed, it is easy to confuse reckless acts with leadership and smarts. Too many “get rich quick in your own business” books and programs portray tough entrepreneurs as those who can make “instant” tough decisions- and those who can’t are left behind in the race to riches—missing out on the “opportunity of a lifetime”. As the wise entrepreneur knows, in business, fiction and fact don’t mix. The unending stream of business success books are right about one thing, effective leadership requires the ability to make choices--but most are light on how to make the right choice. Seasoned business owners know the ability to continually make the right decision is critical to your success. As an entrepreneur, the wrong choice can bankrupt you. For example, expanding your business too soon based on a hunch or desire will most times prove to be a foolish choice as premature expansion is a major cause of failure. Or, for example, if you sign a deal with a vendor just to prove you have the courage to decide is allowing your ego or emotions to manage your business. A risky management style. So, how do you decide? Let me tell you about a simple tool many use and advocate. It is known as the “Ben Franklin” system. Take a lined pad- write the question to be decided at the top of page and below divide the remaining sheet into two vertical columns. The left is for the negative consequences of your action and the right is for the positive benefits. Assume for the moment you are undecided about buying a new car. You have selected the model but you are not sure this is the right time. Pose the question on the top of the pad--in the left column, list your reasons to wait, on the right side, list your reasons to buy now. In a sense, the side with the most reasons wins. The “Ben Franklin” system forces you to think about what you are about to do. It does not let you sweep under the rug what will happen if things don’t work out. And it does not let you see the promises but not the perils of your choice. This decision tool is not limited to business choices- it is helpful in most areas of daily living. It works to keep you rational, it discourages “I want it now” acts. And for the Tony’s who hate to decide anything it works to remove the fright around commitment. But it is only a tool; to make it work for you it demands honesty and your ability to put your ego and fantasy on hold. Not easy to do. It is easy to fill the right hand column with tons of reasons of why you should do what you “want to do” and downplay the dire consequences. If your personal track record of decisions making is lousy--it is time to take your time and try Ben’s technique. There are few once in lifetime opportunities that come along requiring instant action. Your business will be around a lot longer if you don’t jump at such temptations. Copyright 1999-2002 Paul E Adams Dr. Paul E. Adams is a retired entrepreneur, Professor Emeritus Ramapo College of New Jersey and the author of Fail Proof Your Business: Beat the Odds and be Successful.