June 24, 2026 l Business Mirror
Whenever we are faced with a choice, we are oftentimes compelled to make a decision or take action immediately, otherwise we are afraid of being criticized as being undecisive and being viewed in a negative manner. However, another legitimate option is to do nothing!
While doing nothing may seem to be dangerously close to looking like neglect, incompetence or laziness, it is not necessarily so.
Sometimes it is necessary to wait to gather and verify information to make a sound decision, explore and consider other options and alternatives, wait for the right time or opportunity, test the water before taking the plunge and take into account that not doing anything may be the best course of action. There are a number of situations that come into mind when waiting is a more suitable plan of action, such as when you are only an alternate or your term is ending, investing during volatile times and when the situation is unclear or the details are not available.
In cases when you are only left temporarily in charge such as when you are an alternate or when your term is ending shortly or you are about to retire, it would be best to defer a decision with long term repercussions. Situations like hiring a permanent employee in an important position when you were only taking over the job of the person who would normally do that, only on the day that he was sick! It also does not make sense that you would sign a long term, five year contract, on the day you were ending your term as president of the company.
Find a way to do a short-term engagement like asking for a brief extension. That would be the proper and honest thing to do, but then again not all people are honorable. Making investments or taking a position during difficult times or volatile periods require a more cautious approach, and awareness of the time horizon matching your liquidity requirements as well as your risk profile. It might be a good idea to match your requirements with your needs and the kind of risks you can afford to take in terms of liquidity, credit and market.
You might be better off just investing in short term fixed income instruments such as US Treasuries and sovereign government bonds than in the equities market. You certainly will need to match your education and experience with the instruments you invest in and the amount of leverage you take. Don’t pretend to be smarter than you really are, do your homework and seek professional advise as needed. When in doubt it might be best to just wait.
Entering into any contract where there are missing provisions, vagueness in the language, not understanding parts of the deal you are entering into and other documentation issues requires that all these things are sorted out before you bind or legally commit yourself or your company. If you need to wait for correcting erroneous provisions, improving the language and satisfying documentation deficiencies, then so be it.
Don’t rush into getting yourself in trouble. A good deal could easily turn into a nightmare when you rush things! It is during these situations when waiting is a better option.
Waiting for a better deal, a better economic environment, or having a more competent team could mean the difference between success and failure. Don’t allow yourself to be unduly pressured to make any decision quickly, on the contrary, when I feel the pressure, the more I would back off and wait. Remember, a lost opportunity is always better than a certain loss!
***The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX. For comments, email georgechuaph@yahoo.com. Photo is from Pinterest.