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Making a Decision

Definition, Explanation	Tips, Checklist
Articles

Definition, Explanation

Decisions always have to be made. A decision is not only about choosing out of at least two possible ways. Rather, the consequences of different procedures and behaviours cannot be completely seen in advance. Deciding is taking a risk. It can be done rationally on the basis of factual criteria or rather emotionally and intuitively. Also not making any decision is a decision with corresponding consequences. In doing so, you leave further development of matters to chance or to others and give up some responsibility.

Not always, decisions are made consciously. Often they are consequences of already made strategical pre-decisions.

Of course, some decisions will prove to not have been quite right. There is always the risk that another alternative would have been the better one. This uncertainty is precisely the reason for fear to decide. In the actual situation though, with your current knowledge, it was the right decision, though. If in retrospect, you would decide otherwise by now, all you can do is make a new decision.

Tips, Checklist

• Be aware of all goals, the different alternatives of action and the framework conditions
• Analyse the problem from different perspectives, and see yourself from an outside point of view, as a spectator
• Avoid hasty deciding. If possible, sleep on important decisions
• Ask people open questions to gain more information, and listen. Pay attention to their body language
• Do decide, even if there always remains an element of risk. If you do not, you will be incapable of action resp. lose some power
• Do not restrict your decisions to rationality, but knowingly include your gut feeling, your subconscious mind
• Trust your intuition. Scientists have found that mostly you do better this way than when you ponder long. Some even assume that no decision is made purely rationally. It is possible that factual reasons are only made-up to support the feeling-based decision
• Think of the consequences, chances and risks of the alternatives. Write them down in pro- and contra- lists
• Ask others for advice and use guidebooks. Thus you gain further information that you can involve in your decision-making. The final deciding, though, is yours
• Just take your time to make decisions. Think when you are relaxed, not when you are stressed. You might get some information that eases the decision. But take care not to wait until someone else makes the decision for you and you can merely react, but not act any longer
• Decompose bigger problems, and proceed in a structured way. What are the dependencies, what are the priorities, what is easy to solve
• Be confident and know that you can do it
• Consider that the Pareto-principle, or 80-20 rule, applies here: 80 % of many tasks can be solved using 20 % of the necessary means. So do not invest too much time and effort in gaining information about elements of risk
• Decision-making is one thing that can be learned by practising and practising again. Your made decisions are your knowledge base for your intuition or gut feeling
• Reflect on your decisions. For what reasons have you decided as you have? What experience backs up the intuition? Is it still appropriate, or is it outdated?
• Do not demand yourself to make the absolutely right decision. Not everything can be foreseen, and much just has to be tried to prove right
• When you have made a decision, stick by it and do not question it again and again. Live with it. Only when you really see it was a wrong decision you should retrace your steps and learn from it all

Articles

• Under Pressure: The Impact of Stress on Decision Making; Medical News, September 20, 2009

Last update: 09/21/2009