“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions” — Stephen Covey
I once asked the Senior VP of Product Development at a Fortune 500 company what made her so effective at her job? Her simple reply: “I make decisions.” And she added, “Most of the time they are the right ones at the right time.”
How comfortable are you in your decision making ability?
Daniel Goleman talks about good decision-making requiring both outer and inner focus in his book The Hidden Drive of Excellence. The outer focus helps gather information from all available details, facts and options. The inner focus helps review that information taking into consideration self-awareness, values and understanding what might be clouding ones judgment. Goleman talks about the “sweet spot for smart decisions” and suggests that decision-making is really a challenge about self-awareness.
If you know yourself, know your values and what makes you tick, then decisions come easily. Effective leaders combine experience and a strong decision process that forces them to evaluate, listen, adust and learn from each decision. .
Improve your decision making skills
Here are six tips to help you practice making quicker, more effective and confident decisions:
1. Identify your end goal
David Welch, PhD, professor of political science at the University of Waterloo in Ontario and author of Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Effective Decision Making, says, “People who aren’t self-reflective are going to end up making bad decisions because they don’t really know what they want in the first place.” Before you switch jobs, ask yourself: Do I really want a different career? Or do I just want a different boss? Don’t make a decision based on the wrong problem.
2. Use emotions as important intelligence
According to researchers, emotional intelligence – which is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and those of others – impacts the decision making process. Be aware of how emotions like stress and anxiety influence a decision. For example, an end date to achieve a goal is important. However, if the activities to reach the goal are incomplete, be aware of how the anxiety/stress is impacting your decision to meet the deadline. Also, be aware of positive emotions, like excitement and how this emotion influences your decisions. Having “happy ears” because a client likes your product, doesn’t always translate to a sale.
3. Stop seeking perfection
Many people would prefer a project or report be delivered only 90% complete a few hours/days early than 100% complete a day late. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Instead of seeking the impossible, efficient decision-makers tend to leap without all the answers and trust that they’ll be able to deal with.
4. Rely on yourself
Good decision-makers listen to themselves. They surround themselves with intelligent, experienced subject matter experts. And they know the right questions to ask. They don’t ask: “What should I do?” Rather, they ask: “What’s your thinking on this?” Waiting for a team, a committee or a chain of command to make decisions is time-consuming. Get your information from credible sources and then act, quickly.
5. Commit to your decision
Don’t look back, or wonder. Focus your time, energy, self, and purpose on the decision. If you can’t do this and you are still thinking about alternatives, then you are not ready to set the choice into action. Create a plan for implementing and then move on it.
6. Do a postgame analysis
Evaluate and learn from each decision. After each decision, ask yourself “What worked? What can be improved?” Use this information to improve your decision making process, and not to beat yourself up when the decision doesn’t go well.Use the knowledge you’ve gained to improve or change your decision. If the results are as expected, congratulations are in order. Step back and enjoy the feelings of success.
If decisiveness is a challenge for you, or you want to explore how to become a better decision maker, we can help. Join The Executive Presence Group as a member or feel free to contact us with your questions.
See you next week for part seven of our “10 Weeks of Executive and Leadership Presence Tips – Emotional Intelligence”.
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