When was the last time you took some time to reflect on your decision-making abilities?
Do you believe that decision-making is a skill or just a necessary part of your life and career?
I ask these questions because this is often the feedback I receive from clients when they take the EBW assessment that measures decisiveness. Often clients tell me they have never given much, if any, thought to how they make decisions. The more decisions one has to make, the less it seems we think about it. But is that practice or just that we are operating on automatic pilot?
It’s worth thinking about.
People who make quick decisions may not consider all the consequences of a decision and may be prone to taking risks because they are comfortable making decisions, and it is more important to them to just move on quickly. Decisiveness can be extremely useful when the occasion demands a fast outcome, and it can be a useful trait for an experienced manager or CEO who is having to make a multitude of decisions every day.
However, those who are more considered in their approach to making decisions play an important and valuable role in any organization. They bring balance, insight and can often prevent or delay risky decisions being made until further data is available. Whilst this can be frustrating for the extremely decisive person, they need to recognize the value their colleagues bring to the table.
Self-Awareness is key to growth in this area.
Here are a few questions to consider for reflection:
Do I always consider the risks involved in any important decision?
Do I categorize my decisions and look at the conditions of each decision?
How could I become a more effective decision-maker?
What rating would I give myself as a decision-maker? If I want to improve that, what do I need to do?
Who is the most trusted advisor/friend or colleague with whom I can talk through any important decisions?
Decision-making is a complex skill and one which requires plenty of logic – there’s the rub – as human beings, we are prone to bias, to allowing our emotions to cloud our judgement on occasion and to circumstances dictating that quick decisions are the only option.
Reasoning, intuition and experience all play their part, the key is in using them appropriately, and therein lies the challenge.
The good news is that like most skills, it can be developed and improved.
For further information on the EBW assessment and to book a free 15-minute chat about how the EBW can improve productivity on both an individual and a team level, click the link below: https://calendly.com/proactivejustine/book-in-for-chat-re-assessment-and-consultation
