Dear Dr. Mimi:
I am working with a person who can’t make a decision. She spends a lot of time thinking and thinking rather than deciding and acting. What she fails to realize is that her indecisiveness often prevents me from doing my job. I want to scream at her, “Make up your mind!” I know I can’t. She’s the boss’s daughter.
—Decide, Please!

Dear Decide:
It doesn’t matter who she is. Screaming wouldn’t help. In fact, it would only further paralyze her decisionmaking ability. So what are you to do? Start by setting limits on her options. Try to give her only two choices. Tell her your recommendation and then give her a time limit on when you must have an answer. Let her know that if she does not meet the deadline, you will make the decision.

If she has to be the one to make the decision, ask her what is keeping her from deciding. Try to unblock the block. If all else fails, sit down with her to help her decide. Ask her to list the pros and cons of each alternative. Take notes on a sheet of paper (or a flip chart, if one is available) so that she can see her responses. If she still can’t decide, have her rate each pro and con with how important it is and then total up the points. Good luck!
—Dr. Mimi