Decisive vs. Indecisive Personality Traits

Whether a person has an indecisive or decisive personality goes a lot deeper than how long they take to order lunch. At work, this trait plays out in how people make business decisions, the level of risk they’re comfortable with, and how they present to others.

We’re going to break down what an employee’s decisiveness (or lack thereof) might mean at work. But remember: this is just one piece of the personality puzzle, and our other personality trait descriptions can help you get a fuller picture.

What is an indecisive personality?

Someone who is indecisive has trouble making decisions. People who are only somewhat indecisive may take their time with decisions and want to consider their options before moving ahead. Extremely indecisive employees may keep waffling on choices that have already been made — or even put off making decisions for so long that they run out of time.

What are the characteristics of an indecisive person?

Indecisive people often struggle to make choices, experiencing stress and uncertainty in the process.

They have a hard time making decisions and may be very stressed when they have to do it.
Indecisive people are more easily influenced by others with strong opinions (and may even prefer someone else make the final call).
They may lack confidence in their decisions, even after the choice is made.
They carefully consider all the options and weigh the pros and cons of each.

How to work with someone who has an indecisive personality

Your indecisive employees can help your team slow down and consider all of the options before moving on — or they can add unnecessary stress. Knowing how to work with indecisive people can make a big difference.

How to train an indecisive employee

Training that builds confidence will help indecisive employees become better at making decisions.

Remember that making decisions will tax an indecisive person. In training, minimize any unnecessary choices so the employee can focus on the task
Offer guidance that will help employees make decisions efficiently. For example, do they know who to go to with questions about certain subject areas? Do they know which issues require outside help, and when they’re expected to make executive decisions?

How to motivate someone who is indecisive

Reducing the fear of making mistakes and creating a decision-making routine can short-circuit anxiety and overthinking for an indecisive person.

Prevent decision fatigue. Allow your employees who tend towards indecision to focus on the most important choices for their role.
For team assignments and collaborative projects, consider how the different personalities will interact when you can. Indecisive people sometimes benefit from having a decisive colleague to keep them moving along, while other times, they need more space to talk through all the options without feeling rushed.

How to give feedback to an indecisive employee

You will want to encourage growth and maintain a helpful and non-judgemental tone when giving feedback to an indecisive person at work.

Make it clear when indecisiveness creates a business problem, such as missed deadlines or inefficient management.
Sometimes, indecisive employees will need to be coached on presenting their ideas confidently, especially outside the team. Don’t be afraid to give this feedback in your one-on-one sessions.

ChatGPT prompts for a performance review of an indecisive employee

You can use AI tools to create a performance review tailored to an indecisive employee's mindset. AI can ensure the review maintains a constructive tone and that it is written to support an indecisive employee taking the feedback on board. You can then customize the results to the specific situation and employee.

Sample HR prompt for an indecisive personality:

I would like to provide feedback to an employee during their performance review. This employee has indecisive personality traits and tends to slow down the team, leading to missed deadlines or inefficient management. They’re very capable in their role as a marketing assistant, but I’d like to see them grow their soft skills more by being more decisive. Can you share 3-4 sentences about this for their review?

Sample AI-generated response:

“Your thoroughness and attention to detail are valuable strengths in your role as a marketing assistant, and they contribute to the quality of your work. However, indecision has occasionally slowed the team down, leading to missed deadlines and impacting our overall efficiency. I encourage you to work on making decisions more confidently and quickly, trusting your instincts and experience. Developing this skill will help you become even more effective in your role and enhance the team's productivity.”

Sample HR prompts for direct supervisors to help coach an employee who tends to be an indecisive person on how to show more decisiveness at work:

How can I encourage an employee to trust their instincts and make quicker decisions in their role?
How can I encourage an employee to seek input from teammates while still being decisive in their role?
What specific goals can I set for an employee struggling to make timely decisions?

Good jobs for people with an indecisive personality

Jobs that don’t create pressure to make frequent or high-stakes decisions are ideal for people with indecisive personality traits. Roles that require analysis and attention to detail can be a good fit.

Data entry specialist
Editor
Archivist
Research assistant
Medical assistant
Analyst
Translator
Customer service representative

What is the opposite of being indecisive?

On the opposite side of being indecisive, you’ll have people who showcase a decisive personality trait.

What is a decisive personality?

Decisive people are confident decision-makers. They tend to make up their minds more quickly and stick with their chosen course of action.

What are the characteristics of a decisive person?

Here are a few signs that you’re working with someone who is decisive:

They make decisions more quickly and don’t seem to stress over them.
They’re confident making decisions.
Decisive people tend to be more comfortable with risk, especially if it’s an informed risk.
They can be resistant to change once they’ve made a decision.

How to work with someone who has a decisive personality

Decisive people bring confidence and efficiency that can benefit the whole team. Being aware of their decisive personality traits can help you leverage it for success, as well as watching out for a few potential pitfalls.

How to train a decisive employee

Striking the balance between being decisive and becoming impulsive is the goal of effective training for the decisive personality type.

People who tend to be decisive sometimes grow impatient with perceived inefficiencies or delays. In training, keep things moving along at a reasonable pace; you can always check in to see if the person would like you to slow down or review.
Train your decisive employees on when they do need to slow down, wait on making a decision, or loop in a colleague.

How to motivate someone who is decisive

People who are decisive like to take charge and get results.

A decisive person grows frustrated when the decision-making process takes too long. They’ll be more motivated when the process moves quickly; if it can’t, keep them in the loop on delays.
Consider decisive people for roles or projects that involve independent decision-making, where they’ll be able to put their personality trait to good use.

How to give feedback to a decisive person

It is important to respect the strengths of people with decisive personality traits. With the right feedback, they can become good leaders and collaborate well on teams.

Acknowledge areas where decisiveness paid off, as well as times when they may have benefited from slowing down or investigating more alternatives.
You may need to deliver feedback about how they communicate with less decisive peers, who will communicate their ideas much differently. Don’t let a confident decision-maker steamroll the contributions and ideas from those who aren’t as decisive.

ChatGPT prompts for a performance review of a decisive employee

AI tools can create a performance review structure that recognizes a decisive employee's strengths while providing constructive feedback, helping them channel their decisiveness in productive ways.

Sample HR prompt for a decisive personality:

I would like to provide feedback to an employee during their performance review. This decisive employee tends to move quickly, leading to quality concerns. They’re very capable in their role as a manager, but I’d like to see them grow their soft skills more by doing more research and making more informed decisions. Can you share 3-4 sentences about this for their review?

Sample AI-generated response:

“You bring a strong sense of initiative and decisiveness to your role as a manager, which helps the team stay proactive and dynamic. However, moving too quickly has occasionally led to quality issues, which could be improved with a bit more research and consideration in your decision-making. I encourage you to take a moment to gather relevant information and evaluate potential outcomes before acting. This balanced approach will help ensure that your decisions are both timely and thoroughly informed, strengthening your overall impact as a leader.”

Sample HR prompts for direct supervisors to help coach an employee with a decisive personality on how to show more consideration in decision-making at work:

What are some ways to encourage a decisive employee to take time for research and analysis before making decisions?
What specific goals can I set for a decisive employee to help them improve their attention to detail?
How can I encourage an employee to balance their initiative with more collaboration and input from their team?

Good jobs for people with a decisive personality

Jobs that require you to think on your feet and take action when under pressure are roles in which decisive people excel.

Sales representative
Project manager
Paramedic/EMT
Air traffic controller
Operations manager
Restaurant manager
Law enforcement officer
ER doctor

Which is a better worker: indecisive vs. decisive?

While decisiveness is usually perceived as a virtue (and indecision as a vice), it’s important to remember that these traits exist on a spectrum. Extreme indecisive personalities and extreme decisive personalities can both present challenges. Some roles do require more decisiveness. In others, indecision won’t present a problem, especially if the employee takes steps to manage it.

Remember: decisiveness (or indecisiveness) as a personality trait doesn’t necessarily correlate with good business judgment. Be sure to consider your employee or applicant’s track record independently of this trait.

And finally, be sure to view decisive vs. indecisive traits in the context of where an employee or applicant falls on the 4 personality types, as well as other major traits that are relevant to the role.