How To Decide What To Compromise On

compromiseMost important business decisions require compromise: To do one thing, you have to give up or postpone another. Next time you need to decide between conflicting priorities, try doing these three things:

  • Set boundaries. Establish which options are on and off the table. Filter choices by asking: What are we absolutely unwilling to do?
  • Balance the timing of wins. Ask what you’d be willing to trade in the long run for some important short-term gain — and vice versa.
  • Gauge support. Estimate who will support a particular idea and who will oppose it. Ask whose backing you can live without, and whose buy-in you absolutely need.