the result of indecision: bad whether

In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare makes clear that "our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the

good we oft might win by fearing to attempt." Over four hundred years later, these measured words are as relevant as ever. Must indecision continue to rule the centuries like some perverse King Henry loop?

The current refugee crisis gripping Europe offers life-and-death lessons about decisive action. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said this week that “political indecision among European Union member states may lead to more refugees drowning in the Mediterranean” and called for agreement and “responsibility-sharing.”

The business world rarely has so much at stake (though, to be sure, untold lives have perished due to mercenary decisions and cut corners), yet reckless overspending, massive layoffs and criminal conduct routinely hit the headlines. At the same time, nimble organizations that can decisively weather crises, adapt to changing circumstances and wear the non-stretchable fabric of integrity not only survive but thrive.

A willingness to invest in the future has shown throughout history to be a key link, not only to overcome very real problems, but to continue moving ahead. In 1929, on the cusp of the Great Depression, Marjorie Post’s Postum Company made a large acquisition, paying $22 million for 51% of Clarence Birdseye’s General Foods Company. The following few years were spent on stabilizing its business but then it quickly expanded, buying the rest of General Foods, the Sanka Coffee Corporation and others, all while its competitors generally retrenched. Those decisions resulted in countless jobs created and huge wealth generated.

The resulting company is today worth more than $50 billion. Yet while that is a positive number benefiting lives worldwide, lasting measures of success based on the pillars of methodical decision-making take myriad forms, from the community nonprofit that provides food and shelter to the orchestra that offers resonance and fulfillment.

Once all of the relevant facts are in place, indecision becomes a corrosive trait destined to rust and ruin. Is there a risk in most decisions? Of course. But add prudence and experience and they become educated risks. The calendar continues its relentless progression whether growth or stagnation mark the days.

Look outside, weigh the whether, and decide. More often than not, we control the forecast.

the meter of daily life: electric company

The refrigerator and stove. ATM and auto-pay. Self-service checkout.

The computer, smartphone and iEverything. Facebook and Twitter. Google and untold others.

Drive-up, drive-through, drop-off everything.

These and all the other accoutrements of daily living can be accomplished with little or no human interaction. But what do our hours mean without meaningful or even passing companionship? In the drive for technological supremacy and efficiency, many tasks can now be accomplished at any hour of day or night, with just a few keystrokes or drops of gas.

But put two or more motivated people in a room together on a compelling project and watch the reciprocity, the dynamics, the results. The meter of daily life rolls by so much more genuinely with #work and challenges, with love and laughter.

Sure there are outages. Projects may not come to fruition on time. Promised delivery dates can get pushed back. Contracted workers don’t always follow through. People may become hamstrung by a gamut of roadblocks. Use these experiences to fix weak links, to learn from, to improve efficiency.

Gauge what you will need for work, for relationships, for living. Then double it. Given this fascinating, imperfect, striving world, allow for what will inevitably go wrong. Plan for inescapable delays, for certain detours that can often add richness and heightened satisfaction if we allow ourselves to be open to monthly statements that don’t always follow prescribed patterns.

Rates of failure may be high. The real tests of dependability and reliability come when the birds aren’t singing, when the sun isn’t shining, when the promised isn’t forthcoming. Yet when two or more people are determined, and not just the kind of determined that passes for a dictionary definition, but the sort of resolve and strength of character that leads to powerful results, anything can be accomplished.

Embrace those with like-minded goals. Form #partnerships and genuine collaborations. Become adept at networking. Don’t be fearful of heart-to-heart conversations. There will never be a substitute for true human interaction.

Seek the company of others and watch the sparks fly.