Whether you’re the head of the household or the head of a major corporation, as a leader, you base the majority of your decisions on your best judgment.

And while having confidence in your decisions and your preferred route forward is imperative, there are a handful of times when an implied or stated judgment call can lead to disastrous results.

Now, you should never question your inherent ability to lead.

Your judgment is what put you in a leadership role in the first place. And that’s what will keep you at the top of your game!

But when you’re relying on your judgment to make decisions about projects and people, make sure you don’t fall into these Judgment Call Traps.

These traps can lead to negative performance and results down the road.

Trap 1. The Concept of No Motivation

It’s easy to single out a person who isn’t performing well or who seems to be falling behind as someone who isn’t motivated.

Before you make the blanket statement of “he has no initiative” or “she just has no motivation,” stop yourself and really consider if this is, in fact true.

Everyone is motivated by something. Whether it’s money, recognition, a passionate hobby or just the ability to work at your own speed.

So see if you can determine what the “unmotivated” person is really after.

Whether it’s your teenager who refuses to clean up their pigsty of a room or an employee who just seems to be drifting by at work, somewhere there is a carrot-and-stick approach that will get them moving.

Trap 2. Making Comparisons

When you have a star employee or even a star kid, it’s easy to use them as the bar that everyone else should be set against.

But pinning one person’s obvious talents against other peoples’ more subtle strengths is a dangerous move.

For one thing, the people who “aren’t up to snuff” will notice that they’re being compared. And it will most likely cause resentment.

Not to mention, by identifying one person as the “best,” you may be overlooking traits in others that are grest, but are useful and valuable in a different way.

So avoid ranking usefulness based on one person’s ability.

Instead, seek out the personality traits and contributions that make every team member distinct and wonderfully worthwhile.

Trap 3. Using “Fake” Expectations

Have you ever watched a movie or TV show, about an overachiever who accomplished unparalleled great things? Of course, you have!

And sometimes these societal ideals of what’s valued, what’s expected or what can be feasibly accomplished can sink into our daily lives.

Consider every football or sports movie you’ve ever seen. Chances are, the plotline revolves around a kid or young adult who practices countless hours a day and as a result, eventually rises to the level of Sports Star.

The overlying message is that if you work hard enough, you can be rich, famous and excel in your chosen field.

But just because this happens in the movies doesn’t mean that it’s a common occurrence. After all, if it happened all the time, they wouldn’t make a movie or TV show about it!

So keep your expectations in check with what you know. Ignore the “as seen on TV” scenarios.

By setting realistic, (but challenging) goals for your employees, you create a bar that can, in fact, be reached, and which will provide a sense of accomplishment for you, and the people you lead.

Are you struggling to make sound judgment calls? The WINology Performance Group can help! We will teach you how to be more confident. Contact us today to learn more or visit us online!

How have you gained more confidence by using sound judgment in the past? Let us know in the comments section below!