Making the right decision is as hard as life is. When the time calls for the right decision, it takes more work than counting one, two, or three. But instead, be learned and developed.
Decision-making is integral to human life. We all make many daily decisions. Some decisions are good, some bad; some are small, whereas some big. Few decisions are taken happily. On the contrary, some are demanded by the situations.
Do you know how many decisions or choices you make in a given day?? Keep this number in your memory which has come just now in your mind. I am sure you will be surprised by the number of choices or decisions you make daily. Studies suggest that an adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. It is a significant number. Considering your sleeping and other necessary activities, on average, 2500 choices every hour?
All too often, leaders need to make decisions on time constraints. They’re only sometimes given an efficient amount of time to evaluate all aspects of the situation before putting a course of action in place. When this happens, leaders have to think quickly and act decisively.
For ideas on responding to unexpected events requiring immediate responses, check out the following suggestions that can help you develop internal and external responses and manage your teams effectively.
1. Clear Your Mind. Calm your mind to gain clarity. Leaders are constantly pressured to make critical decisions impacting their organizations, personnel, and customers. Doing so with a clear mind will allow you to make the best decisions and minimize unnecessary risk. Visualize your decisions’ outcomes before taking action, and take the time afterward to reflect.
2. Understand The Problem. Reframe your decisions. Not all decisions require the same level of deliberation and readiness. Try to understand the problem or sub-problem you are solving, its benefits, and the consequences if it is not solved. You’ll also want to examine the information you have now and the steps you’ll need to take to make a decision. These answers can help you avoid overthinking and drive you toward better, faster decisions
3. Determine The Desired Outcome. Understand the situation and agree on the desired outcome. Then, use the time available to analyze risks, actions, and success factors. Sometimes a decision can be broken down into steps, so you can decide on the first step while continuing to refine your overall strategy. Monitor progress and consider contingency plans if things deviate from the expected course. The ability to adapt is critical.
4. Brainstorm Pros And Cons. Gather as much information as possible, purposefully seeking out good and bad points. We often find options or information that reconfirm our beliefs, and occasionally we do this subconsciously. Therefore, it is essential to recognize this; by doing so, you will manage the change process more effectively.
5. Make Decisions Intuitively. Trusting your intuition is the best way to make decisions when you have little or no time. Intuition is developed through time and experience. The ability to draw from that is crucial as a leader when facing tough times and situations.
6. Recognize And Evaluate Your Assumptions. Regardless of timing, make sure you understand the assumptions upon which any decision is based, the likelihood that these assumptions are correct, and what will likely happen if one or more of your assumptions are incorrect. If you are highly confident your assumptions are correct, and you can live with the likely outcome associated with being inaccurate, it’s a safe decision.
A book entitled, “GREY FEATHERS Led By Love of Country 2nd Edition”. Daniel DeWald’s book on decision-making under fire is about the story of the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Division serving in the Republic of South Vietnam 1967-1970. The story is derived from operation reports, battle scenes, magazine articles, interviews, and experience incurred in battle conditions. The book describes the events and shows how unselfish and brave the unit responded to overcome enemy advances. The pressures of battle forced quick decisions and movements. Each man earned their grey feather, which was a symbol of each being brave in adverse conditions. We all watch each other’s back and ensure that all hostilities are met honorably and with force.
With all those mentioned above, you can be confident in making your decisions even when the situation is against you. Making decisions isn’t like taking a test. There are no wrong or correct answers. It just depends on the situation. Focus on thinking about your options and what you hope to achieve so you can feel confident about your choices. It’s not as easy as flipping a coin, but it’s worth the extra effort.
To Sam It All Up 