What are the THREE most important things to remember when making decisions?
I am presenting in a few months on the topic of Effective Decision-Making Skills. I have a great deal of research done but I am looking for some opinions and ideas from other people to add to my presentation (done anonymously of course).
It would be great if you could jot down your top three answers. I can email my presentation to you if your'e interested.
Thanks,
Steve Bannister
Good Answers (23)
Paul C
Assistant Project Manager at M J Dean Construction
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Steve,
My experience in the Air Force prepared me for a lifetime of decision making.
1) When stress is high and time and information is limited it is essential to know your values. You must know how things stack up. This requires self reflection, experience, and consultation with people you admire.
2) In order to make effective decisions it is important to live according to your values. This creates a habit that you can depend on in times of high stress. Your instincts will conform with your values.
3) Finally, you must prepare. Sometimes this means research and sometimes practice. Generally speaking you should put yourself in the imaginary position of making hard decisions before you are making the decisions that count.
Good luck with your presentation! Please send me a copy.
Respectfully,
Paul Cline, AIA
Brian O
Student at The Johns Hopkins University - Graduate Division of Business and Management
1. Know all your options within the time constraint.
2. Determine who will benefit most from each option.
3. Lastly, (but possibly the most over-looked aspect of decision making) make sure that the decision will maintain long term goals.
That's about as broad as I can be, without knowing the industry and problem at hand.
Kristina F
Director at Cummins, Inc
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1) Data (do I have the right data points to make an informed decision)
2) Context (since there is no one "right" answer - usually - does it stand up to the particular context in which the decision needs to apply)
3) Affected audience (what works in one environment and with one group, may not make it the right decision for another audience/group)
Doug H
Colorado Territory Manager at Charter School Management Corporation, Inc.
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Gather your facts
Examine your intution
Communicate the decision appropriately
To "decide" is not always the death of options as the etymology would suggest. Often a decision is among many options constrained by the situation, e.g. resources, capacity, capability, etc. In these circumstances consider these factors:
1) What are the driving values that we can use to prioritize our options?
Having a clear set of values associated with a decision can help you rank and select options. Prioritization is key to good decision making.
2) Options are rarely now or never.
Choose the best next steps but remember the options for the future. The future is the Future... circumstances may change, or may be improved by your near-term choices.
3) Which of our options are best aligned with our strategic direction?
In the heat of the daily chaos it is easy to miss how our short-term decisions may impact the long-term game plan. Take time to ask this important question.
Dick S
Owner Tenby Technologies / Inventor
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The ideas above are excellent ways for making decisions. Here are some other things to remember.
1. Don't worry about finding the right answer, there may not be one. Find the best answer you can given the constraints.
2. Remove ego from the decision. Ego clouds judgment.
3. Prepare your audience for your decision. No decision is useful if it can not be implemented. If you need others to support your decision, prepare them before you make your decision public.
I would enjoy seeing your presentation when it becomes available.
Thanks
Links:
Steve,
Here are the top three things I consider before making a decision:
1. Who or what will be affected by the decision. In all decisions there are going to be consequences and I am looking to minimize the fall out of the current decision.
2. Do I feel comfortable with the amount and accuracy of the information I have used to base my decision on. This is a critical question because any good decision usually involves some good instincts.
3. Based on the decision I am making are there any secondary decisions that will need to be made. Usually with any decision, there will be partner decisions that need to be made so the decision will be effective.
I would definitely be interested in reviewing a copy of your presentation. My email is chussey1976@gmail.com
Regards,
Christopher Hussey
Alternative decsions and risk reward of each
Short term and long term effects
Likely outcome if the decision results in a negative outcome and a plan to handle that possibillity.
Lisa S
Coach, Consultant, Speaker, Trainer
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I would say it differs if it's a personal or professional decision but generally...
1. know your own values and what's important for you in this decision
2. consider the implications for your stakeholders - what's important for them?
3. how you will feel after this decision is announced
Nina R
Project Development Specialist - Entertainment - Social Services
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1. Let go of any emotional attachments to potential scenarios and outcomes - plan for many reactions and emotional exit strategies!
2. Do not make decisions which have relative or conditional components in the solution - solve for any foreseeable areas of conflict prior to making the final decision, reduce your risks
3. Be prepared to bear the entire responsibility born as the decision maker! - No blame shifting... a leader leads!
Eileen B
IT Professional, Information Security Quality Assurance Operations & Administration / President, CMU SEI LI SPIN
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HI Steve,
My hit list:
1. Select your criteria - what are the reasons for making this decision?
2. Make your short list - what are the positive and negatives of this decision?
3. Consider the alternatives - what is the risk? pros? cons?
Eileen
Debra F
Certified Executive Coach who partners with senior executives and lawyers: www.pinstripecoaching.com
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1. What will be the ramifications of your decision
2. What will be your follow up action, if any need to be taken
3. What does your gut tell you
Debra Forman
www.pinstripecoaching.com
Jonathan H
Head of Commercial Finance at Umbro International (a Nike Affiliate Company)
1. Know the question
2. Understand the impacts
3. Communicate the rationale
Steve - I'd be interested to see your final presentation.
Thanks
Jon
1. Gather information
2. Weigh the facts
3. Consider all your options
Then you should be ready to make your final decision.
Susan R. S
Executive Coach, SRS Coaching
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1. Be prepared to take risks
2. Understand that EVERY decision brings unintended consequences
3. Have a Plan B
I would like to see your presentation when it's done. Good luck!
Three most important things to remember...
1) Urgency of the decision
2) Impact
3) Do I have enough data to make a wise decision?
Make sure to remember these 3 things when making a decision:
Have I identified all of my options?
Which option has consequences that I am willing to handle?
Who else is affected and is their input needed in this decision?
Venkdesh B
SBU Head - Media & Entertainment
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DECISION MAKING: THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER
When it comes to decision make, as you might know, a lot of things are there to consider. But as you would want to know, i believe the following are the THREE MOST IMPORTANT things. May be the rest of them could be classified as important and others as not so important :)
1. That a decision SHOULD be made
2. Data / Facts
3. Impact / Future Consequences
I would like to go into a little detail for each of these items below. Also, it would be great if you email your presentation, that would help understand even better and it might throw some light upon these facts and help interpret them to best suit your presentation on "Effective Decision-Making Skills".
1. THAT A DECISION SHOULD BE MADE
Yes, this may sound funny and so simple - but it is one of the three most important things to remember when it comes to decision making. As obvious as it may sound, that fact a decision should be made at regarding the matter at hand is a very important factor as other influential people, process, factors may push the person to post-pone the decision or the meeting itself or to just igonore it and forget about it which may turn out be a serious issue later. One point to note here is always people can agree to disagree. Atleast that agreement would put in a mutual understanding and sound a positive note to proceed further with the issue at hand.
2. DATA / FACTS
The second most important thing to remember is to have the relevant data/facts at hand to make an effective decision. As Arthur Conan Doyle puts it for us with the character of Sherlock Holmes - "It is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts." May be we can adapt it to say, "It is a capital mistake to decide in advance of the facts".
There are two more excellent ones which I feel are very apt / applicable to effective decision making. One is regarding the little ones / tiny details and the other coming to interpretation of the facts at hand. He says, "It is, of course, a trifle, but there is nothing so important as trifles." and here is the another one: "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
3. IMPACT / FUTURE CONSEQUENCES
Any decision made todafy, for sure, will have an impact tomorrow. Its just a matter of time. So if we need to make effective decisions and we are looking at the three most important things, this is another one to remember - the impact of this decision / future consequences. If we don't take this into consideration when making the decision, it would turn out to be an ineffective decision, in all probability!.
May be it would help, if you can email your preso, i would love to take a look at it and add my 2 cents!!!
Thanks,
Kind regards,
Venky
--------------------------------------------------------
Venkdesh Balasubramanian
Gerry M
PMO Reporting Manager/Consultant at Bank of America via Carlisle-Gallagher Consulting
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1. Understand what it is you are deciding about.
2. Determine the life-span of the decision (how long before it is ignored, overturned, or superceded).
3. Let the stakeholders know a decision has actually been made, and what, specifically, that decision is.
You may get some feedback that causes you to redecide your original decision, or just send you back into the abyss of confusion and chaos.
Tentatively yours,
Gerry.
Michael G
Life Coach, Trainer, Visionary, Dreamer
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1. Trust your instinct
2. Trust your instinct
3. Trust your instinct
everything else will just confuse you!
Colleen N
Healthy Home Consultant at Aerus
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1. Get to a place of clarity
2. Trust yourself
3. Don't let anything get in the way.
Only a few of the answers have alluded to what I believe is by far the single most important aspect to decision making:
Understand your own thinking.
Think about it - all the decisions you make in the present are influenced by your past training, experiences, beliefs, and biases. And most importantly this happens automatically - your brain "filters" information based on these past events. Of course this filtering essential - it serves the function of reducing extraneous noise; as well your filter is a large part of your expertise - your gut or intuition if you like.
But if you are not aware you are doing this (and even when you are) it is easy to let the filter block important information. At that point, it doesn't matter how flawless your logic or robust your approach, your conclusion will be less that the best.
There are articles, book excerpts, and some video of me presenting these concepts on my web site at
www.ThinkingforResults.com
Randy Park
Arti D
Consultant at Barclays Capital
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Take advise from trusted people.
Listen, observe and analyze their views.
Look towards those who will get effected by decision.
Never make decision for recognition or self benefit but for winning respect and love.
Analyze again and again.
More Answers (3)
Neal Evan C
Founder & Executive Creative Director @ Red Dream Studios: Digital Marketing Company: www.reddreamstudios.com
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1. Location
2. Location
3. Location
:)
Michael A
General Manager Community Services at Christchurch City Council
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It is most important to realise that sometimes there are far more than 3 that are vitally important and sometimes there are less. I get very cynical when presenters over-simplify in the service of making the "technique" sound the complete package.
Steven B
• Financial Analysis & Management • Boeing • SunGard • Lockheed Martin • CIGNA • "Mother Teresa of Network
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All good answers have been posted...
