In the workplace, we have those innovative employees who love to charge ahead and try new things. Sometimes they’ve advised others of their actions and sometimes they haven’t. With these decisions, they can be perceived as the daring hero or the reckless renegade. So, how can an employee be perceived more often than not as the hero? By asking a few questions!

Is it Ethical and Fair?

The daring hero will ensure their decisions and actions are ALWAYS ethical and fair. As the classic saying goes, “When in doubt, stay out.” Usually when a person is perceived as the reckless renegade, it’s usually due to a decision being unethical or unfair which is the fastest way to tarnish a reputation. Always, always, always, make sure every decision and action are ethical and fair to everyone. When any employee’s ethics are questioned, the trust is diminished and hard to return.

What are the Pros and Cons?

The innovator will assess all the pros and cons with their decision and action. They usually have a solid sense that if there are cons, the pros far outweigh it. When assessing the pros, they are thinking about improvement to process, employees and customers and making life easier! The thoughts are about simplifying the process, streamlining tasks and creating efficiencies for all. When assessing a con, it may be there are duplicate efforts which means reallocation of staff. The innovator is thinking about the intended and unintended consequence and ready to have the answers when asked about their actions.

Who will be impacted?

The daring hero will understand how employees in their department and other departments will be impacted both favorably and unfavorably. Like the pros and cons, they understand the big picture and how every action produces a reaction. If a decision is made that positively impacts one department but adversely impacts another, other personnel may need to be brought into the decision.

Does This Adhere to Regulatory Compliance?

Companies and Industries must adhere to regulatory compliance. The daring hero will either know the regulations or find out to ensure compliance. They have a full appreciation of seriousness of such issues which goes into their decision making. The reckless renegade will either not know all the necessary regulations or choose to ignore them. If poor decisions are made, this could impact much more than just the employee but also the company.

Does This Decision Feel Right or Wrong?

This question may not have the analytical aspect but rather rely on that gut feeling. And yes, great daring heros have great instincts! When they ask themselves this question on a decision without asking for permission, they can feel if it’s right or wrong. If it feels right, it’s a go and if it feels wrong, they hold off. A reckless renegade will make the decision even if they feel it’s wrong. As stated earlier, “When in doubt, stay out.”

Have I had my hand slapped a few times for making decisions in my career? Heck yeah!  With that said, I’ve also been told numerous times, “it’s better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission” which told me, it was the right decision. Employees who question the status quo and are willing to take risks can either be the hero or be the zero. If we ask ourselves a few key questions, we will make the right decisions the vast majority of the time and be perceived as that daring hero!!