A decision is what could ruin your life or take you up on the ladder, and higher management officials and entrepreneurs might have faced tough situations now and then. You need to be very skilled to be in a stressful situation of managing strategy, people, and politics. However, there is no foolproof or standard protocol that lets you decide things.
The following tips extensively cover a few often repeated management steps one needs to follow before making a decision.
Common Mistakes before Taking a Decision
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Delaying the Important Stuff:
Pushing your important task, or queuing up for later execution would only worsen the issue. Therefore, it is important to take time out and analyze the situation and look forward to resolving an issue.
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Believe in Yourself:
One of the most common characteristics of humans is self-doubt. However, on few occasions when a decision hangs by the thread which could impact your day-to-day activities, we think about our decision making process a lot with regards to its repercussions. Pause for a while and take a back seat from all the clutter around you and carefully think about a situation, you will find a solution to it.
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Follow a Structured Approach:
When your company has decided to launch a new product or you have decided to get into a new location or expand your business; how do you approach the project? It is very important to approach any decision statistically and arithmetically rather than gut feeling alone.
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Expand your Horizons:
When you make a decision, it is not necessary that another person will agree with it. Therefore, it is crucial to explore all angles and viewpoints before making a decision. For example, as a new HR policy you feel that all employees should come in formals all five days. However, the employees might think that what they wear is not important as long as work gets done. Perhaps the formal dress code could be limited to only during client visits. How you take inputs from people and then make it a decision or law is up to you, and it’s equally vital to let people know their inputs matter a lot in making a decision.
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Being full of yourself:
Many a times we think that all the information available to us is of relevance and reliable. However, this arrogance traps us in making wrong decisions. Therefore, it is crucial to rely on more than simple gut feeling.
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Be Well Aware of Failure:
A good leader and manager are well aware of consequences of both success and failure. Therefore, make sure to accept it and set the expectations for the team as well. You should always be prepared for a worst-case scenario and employ a back-up plan when you think it fit.
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Move On:
Irrespective of the consequences, you and your team need to move on. If the decision taken did not turn out as expected, accept it and work on the backup plan or do something to get the motivation and zeal back in the team.
if we make sure to learn and gain from the experiences of ours and others we are surely going to become good decision makers. Do let us know in the comments section how you have coped with decision making mistakes.
