While Looking for a File

While I was looking for another file I came across this that I rattled off. It struck me as useful and fit within the context of this blog, so I reproduced it here. This is one area that I found people were routinely bothered by is all facets of life. Enjoy and use it if you think it may help.

Making Better Decisions

How often have you looked at a situation and said to yourself, “Why did he choose to do that?” We have all been there and probably will end up there again. There appears to be a lot of bad decisions being made all the time. They can be frustrating, expensive and even dangerous. So, what can we do to make better decisions?

There are several models that describe what happens when a decision is made. They normally don’t explain how to make a decision. When trying to make a decision many people become overwhelmed. It can become very daunting when you are faced with a new or unique decision. Life doesn’t always play out how the experts portray it to. There are constraints on our ability to make and implement decisions and often people get lost in the clutter. Here are a few simple guidelines to help you make better decisions more often.

Accept You May Make a Bad Decision

I have often seen people become so engrossed with making a perfect decision; they end up not making any decision. If you have the authority and responsibility to make the decision, you are expected to make it. It is important to understand that leaders may have to make unpopular decisions, but they may be the right decision. By accepting that you may make a bad decision you are freed up to make a good one.

Determine What Criteria are Truly Important

When faced with a decision, you can often boil the issues down to two or three main points. If you have too many criteria to consider, the minor items may skew your result and the choice will not adequately address the problem. Remember you must address all the criteria that truly matters but also cut through the fluff.

Be Mindful of Time Constraints

A good decision must be timely. It is no good to decide to get on a plane after it has left the runway. On the other hand if you have some time before a choice needs to be made, take the time to seek out the information that will help make a better decision.

Seek Assistance When You Need It

Nobody is an expert on everything. When you don’t know the answers ask for help. Always review the applicable policy for guidance. The decision may be already made for you. If the policy doesn’t provide much help for your current dilemma then supervisors, colleagues, and subordinates are all excellent sources to draw on. Remember, we are all working toward the same goal.

Making decisions can be difficult but, if you keep these guidelines in mind when you have to make one, your chances of success will increase.