Effective Decision Making Process: How To Make Wise Decisions
Decision making is a crucial part of life. Making good decisions is the way to being successful. And depending on your purpose in life, making wise decisions can be a bit harder than others. The following advice will make you better at decision making and help you make better choices in life.
First of all, think thoroughly before you act. Then, before taking any decision, ask yourself these questions: What am I doing? Why do I need to do it? How should I do it? When would be the best time to do it? Where should I do it? Who else might be involved or affected by my actions?
Answering these questions may seem very simple, but your result will always be much if you ask them every time before acting. Here are some steps that can help you become more effective in your decision-making process:
6 Proven Tips For Effective Decision Making
Define the problem
Gather all necessary information and resources
Brainstorm possible solutions to the problem
Evaluate each solution against a set of criteria or standards for effectiveness, efficiency, and feasibility
Select one solution that best meets your needs
Implement the decision made with an action plan for success
1) Define the problem
To make wise decisions, we need to define the problem we need to solve. The more focused and well-defined the problem, the easier it will be to find and implement a solution.
Be sure you know what problem you are trying to solve, who needs to be involved in the decision, and what options are available. Doing so will allow you to make decisions more quickly and with greater confidence.
2) Gather all the necessary information and resources
Once you’ve defined your problem, gather as much information as possible. It will allow you to identify if solving this particular problem is the best course of action for you to take.
Sometimes our problems are caused by other factors, so it’s important to be sure that the problem you are trying to solve is something you can control. If you implement your decision, this will give you a higher chance of success.
You need to ensure that whatever supplies or skills you need are available (or accessible) for your decision-making process to be effective. If they’re not, it might be better to wait until they are available.
3) Brainstorm possible solutions
Now that you have a solid understanding of the problem, your next step is to develop possible solutions. Brainstorming is an effective way of generating possible solutions to the problem you are trying to solve.
Brainstorming is a very simple process, but it is also one of the most powerful tools in your decision-making toolbox. You will increase the number of possible solutions by generating more ideas, options, and possibilities for solving your problem.
4) Evaluate each solution against a set of criteria for effectiveness, efficiency, and feasibility
An excellent way to make decisions is by setting criteria beforehand so you can measure how effective each solution would be before implementing it. While no perfect standards exist because everyone has different values, this framework provides valuable guidelines for making decisions effectively.
The idea behind it is that there are three characteristics of a practical decision: effectiveness (will this solution solve the problem?), efficiency (is this solution speedy and straightforward?), and feasibility (can we implement this solution?).
5) Select one solution that best meets your needs
After you’ve evaluated each of your potential solutions, you can finally decide upon a course of action. And yes, it is okay to change your mind later on; we learn from mistakes and go through many different experiences in life — sometimes, we’re not sure what’s the correct thing to do until after we’ve tried something.
So if you realize that your initial decision wasn’t effective or efficient enough, try coming up with new solutions until you find one that will work for you.
6) Implement the decision made with an action plan for success
The last step of the decision-making process is to implement a plan for success. It will help you ensure that your decision has a chance of being effective and efficient — and if not, then hopefully, the learning experience will empower you to choose a better solution next time.
Take it slow, don’t rush into anything without thinking, and you’ll be fine! Even if there are some setbacks, never give up on making decisions as long as you remain committed.
Final Thoughts:
Making decisions is a complex process, but the practice is the only way to improve your decision-making skills. The more you make choices in life, the easier it becomes — so don’t be afraid of screwing up occasionally! After all, making mistakes means you’re one step closer to not making them again later.
Good luck with your next decision! If you like this article, please share it with your friends! And if you have any suggestions or feedback, feel free to comment below!