Just as people are all different, so are our ways of making decisions.
Personal development guru, Stephen Covey, once famously said: “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”
Here are 5 ‘bundles’ of quick insights to enhance your practical decision making:
1. Bundle one
- Do not make decisions that are not yours to make.
- When making a decision you are simply choosing from among alternatives. You are not making a choice between right and wrong.
- As part of your decision making process, always consider how the decision is to be implemented.
2. Bundle two
- Avoid snap decisions. Move fast on the reversible ones and slowly on the non-reversible.
- Choosing the right alternative at the wrong time is not any better than the wrong alternative at the right time, so make the decision while you still have time.
- As soon as you’re aware that a decision will have to be made on a specific situation, review the facts at hand then set it aside. Let this incubate in your subconscious mind until it is time to finally make the decision.
3. Bundle three
- Do your decision-making on paper. Make notes and keep your ideas visible so you can consider all the relevant information in making this decision.
- Be sure to take a decision based on what is right, not who is right.
- Mentally rehearse implementation of your choice and reflect in your imagination what outcomes will result.
4. Bundle four
- Write down the pros and cons of a line of action. It clarifies your thinking and makes for a better decision.
- Make decisions as you go along. Do not let them accumulate. A backlog of many little decisions could be harder to deal with than one big and complex decision.
- Brainstorming alternative solutions with your staff or others will gain fresh ideas and commitment.
5. Bundle five
- Consider those affected by your decision. Whenever feasible, get them involved to increase their c
Recognise that you cannot know with 100% certainty that your decision is correct because the actions to implement it are to take place in the future. So make it and don’t worry about it.
