Decision-making and problem-solving ............................................................
4 Evaluating those options
5 Making the decision (choosing an option)
6 Testing its implementation: by feel, by measurement
and by assessment.
You should also listen to your ‘feel-right?’ test – do warning lights
flash or alarm bells sound? If so, re-work decision elements 1-6.
(Experience of your own or that of others helps to develop your
‘feel’ for decisions).
A decision is only effective if it is implemented (and that means
getting the desired results through people). For that, other people
need to be included in the decision-making process. You need to
develop your skills in appreciating when it is most appropriate to
include others in the decision-making process.
An effective decision-maker is always an effective thinker. The
three essential skills are those of:
1 analysing
2 synthesising
3 valuing.
An effective decision-maker knows that quick decisions are not
necessarily the best ones and decisiveness only results from thinking
things through. Key decisions (and recognising when you are being
asked to make or be involved in the making of key decisions)
demand that great care must go into analysing(the component
elements),synthesising(putting ideas together) and valuing
(assessing relative worth).
The crucial elements in decision-making are:
- establish the facts
- consider the options
- decide the course of action.