DECISION

MAKINGCHARACTERISTICS
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CHARACTERISTICS
Decision-making can be the single-greatest weight
upon the manager’s shoulders if he doesn’t know how
to manage stress or if the consequences are less than
ideal
There are certain characteristics which are vital for
good decision making.
They are discussed as:
Cont’d
1. Good decisions positively impact others.
This statement may seem obvious, but if it were, bad decisions wouldn’t exist
After all, anybody who is adversely affected by a decision immediately
classifies that decision as bad.
2. Good decisions are replicable.
People want to mimic a bad decision like a case of herpes. Enough said (and
feel free to tweet that).
3. Good decisions foster opportunity.
An effective decision empowers others to act.
4. Good decisions include others.
Arriving at a conclusion that serves the company is a process
There are boxes to check off that ensure accountabilities are established and
authorities are met.
Cont’d
5. Good decisions are executable.
Integral to any decision is clarity around what that decision is
If there’s ambiguity about what to do next then that decision isn’t clear enough
Clarity minimizes uncertainty, and although this may sound like an obvious statement
6. A good decision is systematic.
Ruling out the good criteria from the bad requires time, resources, clear (there’s that
word again) requirements as to what the goal is and judgment to estimate the
probability of success.
7. Good decisions are accountable.
With clarity also comes accountability
It’s not easy hiding behind something that outlines, in detail, the roles,
responsibilities or expectations associated with a new decision
Tack on the timeline, assets necessary and the conditions that define success and
you’re pretty much on a one-way highway to execution without any U-turns (my
metaphor for accountability avoidance).
Cont’d
8. Good decisions are pragmatic.
Humans are creatures of emotion, which means eliminating emotion from a
decision isn't feasible
However, what can be eliminated are self-serving emotional biases. In the SEAL
Teams, for example, there were three criteria upon which decisions were made:
The mission, the team, the individual. Namely, who does the decision serve?
9. Good decisions involve self-awareness.
If you’re tasked with deciding how to outline your company’s strategy for the next
10 years but you’ve never made a strategic outline, chances are you should defer to
the next subject-matter expert
The point is, for a decision to positively impact others, foster opportunity or any
of the aforementioned characteristics, you need to be cognizant of when you’re
operating within your circle of influence and when you’re pushing its boundaries
Don’t be that person who clutches to decision-making authority because it makes
you feel important -- defer to the person closest to the problem.
If you have any questions kindly don’t
hesitate to ask during the class timings.