Fear of failure often means that making a decision to do nothing and stick with the status quo is the safest thing to do in the short term, but will nearly always result in long term trauma. The problem is that too many people take decisions based on the “if it isn’t broken, don’t try and fix it principle” and so only take decisions in response to problems that need solving now. In this blog we look at how to effectively make decisions. effective people make decisions on the basis of “if it currently works, fix it before it breaks”.
1. Understand the issues before they become problems
Making decisions to solve problems is not the effective way to do it. Effective people make the decisions to avoid the problems in the first place. Where they can’t do that they make the decision based on “how can we avoid this problem happening again?” or “how can we do better next time?”. In order to do this they must understand the real issues facing them personally or the business for which they work and have the time to consider what decisions need to be made today in order to avoid problems tomorrow.
2. Make sure you have the relevant data
How often have you heard the statement “I’m flying by the seat of my pants”? Well, no effective pilot would ever do that, and no effective person should either. Sometimes we have to take decisions based on incomplete information and often that is the most effective way even though it is not the optimal way. What is important is that you gather as much relevant data as is practically possible in order to assist in the decision making process. Using AI to gather the data is effective. Using that same AI to make the decision is not. Data is valuable, but only you can really decide what data is relevant and what is reliable. That’s the human bit.
3. Weigh The Options & Learn From Experience
It’s important to use the relevant data above to weigh the options available, but don’t forget that sometimes the best decisions are made by taking the least likely route. The famous quote from Henry Ford about using the available data to invent a better horse holds good here. If you want to know more about this then please visit our blog Effectiveness Is Not About Faster Horses . Experience is important, not all decisions will be right, but all decisions will be better than doing nothing. Learn from the experience of past decisions, both yours and those of other people but remember, decisions are nearly always made using incomplete information and so experience counts.
4. Take The Decision & Take Responsibility For It
Once you have taken the decision then it is your decision. Nobody else’s. The problem with so many people is that if the decision is correct they take credit for it and if it is wrong it is due to other people or unforeseen circumstances (See almost every politician that has ever lived). At the end of the day the decision is yours and it is your responsibility, so make it wisely. Not every decision will be correct, but it is your decision. To be effective you must accept this otherwise you will always take the safe bet and I bet you that nobody you admire always took the safe option.
There you have it, How to effectively make decisions – understand why you need to make the decision, collect and analyse the optimum amount of data, use your experience and then go for it.
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