Knowing how to make the right decision, that's the question

Every day of your career as a manager, you have to make decisions. Early in the morning, as soon as you arrive at the office, you are asked for decisions and you also ask others to help you make the right decision as quickly as possible. Knowing that some decisions can have disastrous effects, it is important to know how to make the right decision and not to make mistakes. Sometimes situations arise that force us to decide without delay: this is one of the qualities of a good manager, especially when his decisions are judged to be good.
But there are also situations where we need to take a step back, to evaluate a number of alternatives: from this moment on we need a well-established process so as not to miss our objective, which is to choose the most efficient alternative. Good decisions are indeed those that are made using well-defined processes. They certainly depend on the views and perceptions of the decision-maker, but they assume an evaluation of alternatives and options. Here are 6 tips that can help you make important decisions in both your professional and private life.

1-Ask yourself the right questions
Do you really need to make a decision? Is the decision to be made really your responsibility? Why is it important to make this decision? Who are the people concerned by your decision? What will be the characteristics of your decision? Note that if you do not have to choose between at least 2 options, then you do not have a decision to make.

2-Get informed and identify all possibilities
Define as many alternatives as you can imagine. Let your ideas flow freely and write them down, but do not judge any alternative at this stage. If you only have a few alternatives, look for other sources of information that can help you in your decision-making. Your sources of information can be your friends, your family, your colleagues, your collaborators, professional organizations, experts, Internet sources, newspapers, magazines, books, etc.

3-Check and review all alternatives
Once you have defined all possible alternatives, make sure you have noted and checked them. When your list of alternatives is well defined, start by evaluating those that you consider suitable. First, note the evaluation rules, characteristics, and values to be considered for each alternative. Then identify the alternatives that take into account the largest number of characteristics or established values. Third, check the alternatives that do not fit within your most privileged values.

4-Identify the possible results of each alternative and make a realistic evaluation
Imagine the possible results of each of the remaining alternatives on your list. Then identify among these, those that seem to you the most realistic and effectively applicable and cross out those that seem unrealistic to you. Take into account the field of application: your company, your family, your social life…

5- Note the alternatives that suit you best
Identify among the remaining alternatives those that seem the most suitable to you. They indeed correspond to your best possible decisions. If among these alternatives, there are some with which you are satisfied but whose possible results do not seem suitable to you, this is proof that they are not good decisions. Furthermore, if an alternative does not suit you but its effects interest you, know also that it is not the right decision either. The right decision is one that suits you and whose results are also suitable.

6-Make your decision and adjust it if necessary
Once your decision is made, you must stick to it while taking into account the fact that you have the possibility of reconsidering your decision if necessary; there is no decision that is unchangeable. To do this, evaluate the effects of your decision as you go along. Are your expectations met? Are you fully satisfied? Do you want to make adjustments? If your expectations are not met, resume the process by asking yourself the following questions: Did I have enough information? What are the values to be really considered? Were the values I considered mine or someone else's? Ultimately, know that perfect decisions do not exist and that you always have the choice to reconsider a decision that does not suit you or does not achieve the expected results.


Philippe Montant CEO of ExeKutive.biz