Some people put off making decisions by endlessly searching for more information or getting other people to offer their recommendations. Others resort to decision-making by taking a vote, sticking a pin in a list or tossing a coin. This page provides some ideas that help those who struggle to make decisions large or small.
What is Decision Making?
Decision making is the act of choosing between two or more courses of action.
- In the wider process of problem-solving, decision-making involves choosing between possible solutions to a problem.
- Decisions can be made through either an intuitive or reasoned process, or a combination of the two.
Vested Interests
These vested interests are often not overtly expressed, but may be a crucial blockage
Intuition
Use your intuition to make decisions based on past experience and personal values
- Not always based on reality, just your perceptions
- Worth examining your gut feeling closely if you have a very strong feeling against a particular course of action to see if you can work out why and whether the feeling is justified
Too Much Information
Having so much conflicting information that it is impossible to see the wood for the trees can lead to analysis paralysis
- This can be resolved by getting everyone together to decide what information is important and why, and by setting a clear timescale for decision-making
Reasoning
Using the facts and figures in front of you to make decisions
- Applying both Reason and Intuition
- Start with reason and then intuition
- If you’re not emotionally committed to the decision you’ve made, you won’t implement it well or effectively
Too Many People
Sometimes, any decision is better than none.
No Emotional Attachment
A structured decision-making process can often help by identifying some very real pros and cons of particular actions.
- This will help to: Reduce more complicated decisions down to simpler steps; See how any decisions are arrived at; and Plan decision making to meet deadlines.
Effective Decision-Making
Decisions need to be capable of being implemented
- Be committed to the decision personally and be able to persuade others of its merits
- An effective decision-making process needs to ensure that you are able to do so
- You need to have the necessary skills
Not Enough Information
Take some time to gather the necessary data to inform your decision, even if the timescale is very tight.
