How To Make Better Decisions, Faster
Employees used to be hired to follow orders, not to take decisions. Nowadays, it is more likely that a leader is fired for avoiding making decisions than for taking risks to promote the company's
Employees used to be hired to follow orders, not to take decisions. Nowadays, it is more likely that a leader is fired for avoiding making decisions than for taking risks to promote the company’s growth.
How do you make those calls faster, and make them stick?
Have a clear and concrete goal
Set short, medium, and long-term goals. This connects your daily decisions to their future consequences. You'll see precisely how those choices help or hinder your progress towards a specific revenue target or team size.It also stops you from chasing alternatives that don’t move the needle.
Related: Are You S.M.A.R.T When Setting Goals?
Take decisions before you need to
Postponing a decision until the last minute only makes it harder. Companies pay higher costs and face greater risks when managers and employees delay critical choices.One effective approach: anticipate company needs. Make small, daily decisions instead of letting a problem fester until it forces your hand. Don’t wait for the fire alarm.
Related: Overcoming Procrastination & Getting Things Done
Focus on the strategy you know can do the job
People in high-stakes situations—policemen, doctors, firemen—don't compare every alternative or weigh pros and cons. They concentrate on the strategy they believe will get the job done in that specific moment.This approach helps them act. It keeps them from freezing, paralyzed by too many options or fear of mistakes. You also don’t always have the ideal material, financial, or human resources for your perfect strategy. Make the best decision you can with what’s available.
Consider your alternatives
Thinking about the opposite of a decision helps you make better choices. It forces you to be more rational and creative. This preparation also lets you react faster to changing circumstances after you've made a call.Know your job and company
Preparation kills insecurity in decision-making. Practice makes perfect. If you rehearse how to react to certain situations, it eventually becomes a mechanical process.Contingency plans help you respond to change. They let you anticipate shifts and make decisions faster when everything else moves.
Related: Why You Must Link Your Personal Goals With Your Business?
Always track your decision; if you were wrong admit it and move on
Some decisions are final. You can't reverse them. But you can always correct mistakes and prevent worse consequences.If the evidence shows things aren’t going as expected, you must be ready to pivot. Great leaders know they’ll make mistakes. They don’t waste their own time, or anyone else’s, defending a bad call. They admit it and start working on a solution immediately.