The_Essential_Manager_s_Handbook

208 / BECOMING MORE EFFECTIVE

Making decisions

The place that you have reached in your career or your personal life

is the result of the decisions you have made. Every decision closes off

some opportunities and opens others. Life is full of difficult choices

and that is why making good decisions is essential.

Defining the process

Making big decisions isn’t simply about

mulling over a few options. Big decisions

require thought, information gathering,

and the creation and evaluation of

alternatives before the decision is

finally made. Timing is critical: you

may sometimes be able to delay a

major decision—although think carefully

through the consequences if you do—

but for many you will have to seize

the moment.

Deciding process

When faced with a major decision,

use the process described here to give

structure to your decision-making. This

will work for large personal decisions

that you take yourself, but is even more

important if you are working with others

in making the decision.

GO WITH THE FLOW

If your company culture is

for decisions to be made by

consensus, do that. If you

act alone, you will not be

supported and are likely to

fail, regardless of whether

the decision you made was

correct or not.

Tip

Evaluate the

outcome

Establish evaluation

criteria

Implement

the decision

How to make a decision

Use the process described

here to give structure to

your decision-making

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