Too Quick

Sometimes one is too quick to make a decision and creates PR and management problems as a result. In this case, the CEO of Snap promoted an individual, informed the person’s direct reports of his decision then changed his mind two days later and hired someone else. The whipsaw has demoralized employees, and it has made the CEO look capricious. If he wasn’t certain about the first person, he should have delayed the decision. Instead he spoke first then acted later. There is little he can do to mitigate the damage. He created the problem and now he has to live with it. Quick decision making is a hallmark of high tech companies, but there is a limit to how often one can change his mind before it impacts an organization negatively. This is a case in which the line was crossed.