As a software developer, one of my guiding principals is always to build for option value. I am continually thinking about the rigidity of a system and how hard it will be to adapt to the unknown. I see this tactic sometimes abused. Teams build in “future integration points” when no consumer of that integration exists. I advocate building clear opportunity for integration with clean lines of separation. The option is there to integrate when the demand materializes.

Options are very valuable when you consider the realistic limits of your information. It is easy to be fooled into seeing a future you expect. We can sometimes miss all the possible ways the future could unfold. Weigh the certainty of future outcomes that are may not be knowable.

One example is the ever-present conversation about building “the API” for future third-party integration. I have worked with teams that believe in the future demand for this API absent validation. There is this “build it and they will come” belief. I have always had success in building an API as use cases and users become concrete, either internal or external. It is very difficult to predict the right API architecture without real-life consumers.

The tactic of keeping options open is not limited to software architecture. As leaders, we often have to weigh our options on resourcing, prioritization and organizational design. We may weigh two possible new-hire candidates, for example, and want to keep both of them available as options in case one doesn’t accept an offer.

A question not often asked is "what is the cost of not deciding?” It makes sense to defer decisions until the last responsible moment, and it is difficult to really evaluate the cost of not deciding. When the lack of decision is highly visible, not deciding can convey a message you do not intend such as uncertainty or no-confidence.

I recall working with a client that was considering an option to outsource a function that had traditionally been performed by employees. The option was evaluated and the decision was not quick. The evaluation conveyed a negative message on the performance of the employees. Uncertainty spread to the technical team. In this example, keeping the option open ended up limiting the options available.

As you consider your options in any decision, be aware of the timing. Ask yourself if you are committing to one option too early. What is the impact and likelihood of having to change directions? Consider the cost of not making a decision. What message does that send to your team and your organization?