TOW#577– How to make the right decisions
Not once, but a million times I’ve wondered whether a decision I made was the right one. But what I’ve concluded is that I haven’t regretted any of my decisions and I still think they were right for that given moment. I’ve also never said to myself: Ah, it would’ve been better if I’d done it that way rather than this.
That’s all good and we can all get to that point, but how? Some tips:
- Emotions — emotions and big decisions don’t go well together and shouldn’t be mixed. They either speed up the process too much or slow it down to the point that no decision is made in the end. Emotions must be excluded. If, for whatever reason, your emotions have to play a part, my advice would be to involve a (relevant) confidant who can help you make the decision;
- Structuring — you need structured action in order to make right decisions. You need to bring the whole situation to a level that is understandable to you (if it concerns you) or to the group, share it and then finally make the decision. Unstructured actions can be disastrous for making correct decisions;
- Focus — don’t focus on whether the problem can be defined as positive or negative, because research shows that focusing on such things can influence decision-making. If you feel the problem’s positive then you’ll reach a different decision to if you think it’s negative. Put the problem (its definition) aside and focus on the solutions. Then start segmenting the solutions in terms of whether they have a positive or negative impact, what the consequences are, etc., to reach one definitive solution;
- Pitfalls — every solution can have a pitfall or two that you need to be aware of. In order to reach the right solution, you must be careful that you don’t fall into a trap at the end of the day, that is, you made the correct decision but it ends up leading to an even bigger mess. In order not to fall into traps, depending on the problem and its size, it’s best to organise a group of people who’ll be able to provide you with info and help from their own expertise, thus reducing the risk of possible traps along the way;
- Going back — reduce the chances and habit of going back and rethinking your decisions. Only by basing your decision-making on experience, plus practical and theoretical observations and approaches, do you reduce the likelihood of decision reversal. You know, reversing decisions makes you seem ‘small’ and insecure in the eyes of others, and you yourself become insecure!
- Learn from previous decisions — every decision you make is important in and of itself. With each decision you make you learn how to make them faster, the methodology, team selection, and the way you choose it, and with that everything you need to make decisions faster and more efficiently.
At the end of the day, making a decision gives life to the actions that follow it, i.e. the decisions we make today affect the future! Therefore, be careful when making them, always making sure that they’re right and good not only for you, but also for a larger group of people!!
Wishing you success with the changes to come,
@kalinbabusku
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