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An Eight Step Process for Effective Decision-Making

If I had to sum up in a word what makes a good manager, I'd say decisiveness.
You can use the fanciest computers to gather the numbers,
but in the end you have to set a timetable and act.
-- Lee Iacocca

If you want to advance to leadership, you must master strategic decision-making. Having a strategy for brainstorming, analyzing options, and considering the implications of your decisions will give you a competitive advantage throughout your career.

Many people today never achieve their true potential because they have difficulty making decisions. They either don't have a strategy for effective decision-making, or they let the fear of making a wrong decision get in their way. They don't realize what peak performers know. Being decisive is a habit like any other.

A decision to make is nothing more than a problem to solve. It's a matter of moving from where you are now, to where you want to be. Sometimes decisions will be clear and simple. Other times, you'll face complicated issues, ambiguous data, and the conflicting opinions of other people.

Regardless how complex the decision you face, this 8-step process can help you think more strategically, and effectively, about the decisions that you face.

A Strategy for Making Effective Decisions

1. Understand the importance of the decision - How important is the decision you're making? When you know how your decision relates to bottom-line goals for your company or career, it's easier to know how to handle it. Spend more time, effort and energy on decisions that will make a critical difference to your bottom-line objectives. Spend less time on decisions that have little significance.
   
   
2. Identify the decision - Clearly define the decision. Is this really a new decision or is it simply a variation of a decision that has been made before?
   
   Also determine whether you need to make this decision at all. High performers don't insist on making all the decisions, just the important ones. Before you begin to make a decision, determine if it's a decision you should make. If the decision doesn't require someone with your level of expertise or authority, delegate it to the appropriate level.
   
   
3. Gather information - You'll probably need information before you can make an informed decision. But before you start gathering information, determine what you need to know first. In today's information flooded world, it's easy to get bogged down with too much data. As you get the information you need, additional questions may come up. At that point you can track down anything else you need to know.
   
   In addition to facts and figures, it's a good idea to get expert opinions. Talk to people with different points of view. Try to understand why they see things differently. Be sure to get input from people who will implement your decision or whose work will be affected by it. They may be aware of potential problems that you don't see.
   
   
4. Identify your options - You always need to have options when you're faced with a decision. And often, when you first look at your options, you'll find that few of them are clearly right or wrong.
   
   Sometimes, you'll need to brainstorm additional approaches to addressing the decision you face. Whether you brainstorm individually or with a group, follow these 4 rules for productive brainstorming.
   
   
   • Anything goes. All ideas are welcome, from the most traditional to the most unusual.
     
     
   • No criticism. The purpose of brainstorming is idea generation. Whether you're thinking on your own, or working with a group, criticism blocks creativity and shuts down the flow of ideas.
     
     
   • Aim for quantity. The more ideas you generate, the better your chances of getting a good one. Wait until later to edit the ideas for quality.
     
     
   • Combine and improve ideas. Good ideas can sometimes be combined to form a single better idea.
     
     
5. Evaluate Your Options - Don't make decisions in your head before you've carefully weighed the options. List all options, without judging them. Then evaluate the pros and cons of each one. Evaluate each option according to the following factors:
   
   
   1. How much will this option further one or more priority goals?
      
      
   2. What is the likelihood of success?
      
      
   3. What are the potential problems?
      
      
   4. What is the financial cost?
      
      
   5. What is the time cost?
      
      
   6. What is the greatest benefit if it does work out?
      
      
   7. What is the worst possible consequence if it doesn't work out?
      
      
6. Make the decision - As Ronald Reagan said, "When I've gathered enough information to make a decision I don't take a vote, I make a decision."
   
   Remember, no one is right 100% of the time. And you can't know if your decision is right or wrong until you make it. If you wait too long, however, you're almost guaranteed to miss opportunities or lose control of the decision-making process altogether.
   
   
7. Implement - Once you've made your decision, let go of your other options. Focus on implementation. Develop specific steps to put your decision into action. Then get started. If you continue to think about other options after you've made your decision, you'll reduce your confidence and your ability to carry out your plan.
   
   
8. Evaluate your decision - Whether right or wrong, you can always benefit from decisions when you take steps to learn from them. The U.S. Army developed a decision evaluation process called After Action Reviews. These reviews are now used by companies worldwide to help people learn from their mistakes, and make better decisions in the future.
   
   To conduct your own After Action Review, assemble people who were involved in the decision or project and answer these questions:
   
   
   1. What was the desired outcome?
      
      
   2. What was the actual outcome?
      
      
   3. Why were there differences between what we wanted and what we achieved?
      
      
   4. What did we learn?
      
      
   5. What would we do differently next time?
      
      

Becoming a more effective decision-maker will improve your career performance, increase your self-confidence and demonstrate your leadership ability. Like other skills, decision-making improves with practice. By following these simple steps each time you face an important decision, you'll find that you're increasingly comfortable making decisions. Ultimately you will produce better, higher quality outcomes for all the decisions you have to make.

© Dr. Robert Karlsberg & Dr. Jane Adler
Dr. Robert Karlsberg and Dr. Jane Adler are experts in leadership development and the psychology of high performance. They work with business leaders to identify and capitalize on new opportunites, accelerate key business results, and develop unique strategies for market preeminence. Visit www.ExpertPerformanceSystems.com for more articles and information.

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