Life is a series of choices. People make decisions every day and make a lot of decisions without knowing what decisions they make. Effective decision-making skills at work are essential skills. Determination to make the best decisions based on the information and save time is a necessary ability for managers and team leaders. It is a must-have skill for team members who have to make numerous decisions and effective choices during working hours. Although it feels like a personal characteristic of humans, effective decision-making can be learned and improved like other business skills. Let’s find out what decision-making skills are and how we can improve our decision-making skills.
The decision-making process
1. Identify the problem
Accurately identifying the problems to be solved and the situation in which decisions must be made is the first important thing to do in solving the problem. If you don’t understand the problem you have to choose or the situation you must solve, the entire decision-making process can go in the wrong direction.
2. Gather relevant information
The second is to collect the relevant information needed to make decisions. Data can divide into internal information obtained through the internal self-assessment process associated with the decision-making process and external information obtained through research, online, market research, books, and evaluation from paid consultants. Both must utilize efficiently. However, too much information can confuse the selection process, so information should be used efficiently.
3. Identify the alternatives
Through the information collection process, which was the second step, solutions and alternatives to the problem can identify. This step lists all possible choice options that can be considered and, if necessary, includes a combination of two other options.
4. Weigh the evidence
Evaluate whether each alternative is satisfied as a solution to the problems identified or selected in the first step. In the past, if your company had to make similar decisions, find out which choice has experienced success and failure, prioritize the alternatives that are considered the most suitable solutions in the third step, and predict the results of each alternative.
5. Choose from the alternatives
Once you have identified the situation, recognized the problem, and prioritized the most appropriate alternatives through the relevant information collected, you must now make decisions and choices.
6. Implement action
If you’ve decided and made a choice, it’s time to act. The goal can achieve through specific and feasible plans for the decisions made. Assign tasks to be done to all departments and teams involved in decision-making and provide guidelines.
7. Evaluate the results
In the final step, evaluate whether the problem is solved through the results of decisions and choices. Evaluate the decision-making process through questions such as whether the goal is achieved and whether the problem is solved. If the problem identified in step1 is not fully resolved, seek additional alternatives, or leave a note on what is needed and refer to the next decision-making process.
Types of decision-making skills
1. Problem-solving
Problem-solving skills are paramount in making effective decisions. It is necessary to consider different perspectives carefully and to view problems from a logical and neutral position. This approach helps you focus more deeply on the details involved in the problem-solving process and make effective decisions.
2. Collaboration
It is difficult to make decisions and judgments that are most appropriate for the problem alone. In the decision-making process, you should collect opinions from others and listen to feedback on your ideas so that you can produce the best results.
3. Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is necessary, along with a neutral position on the situation and a logical approach to the problem. People with high emotional intelligence can understand the emotions of themselves and the people around them and inspire the problem-solving and decision-making process.
4. Logical Reasoning
What is essential in an effective decision-making process is logical reasoning. It is important to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each, analyzing and evaluating all necessary information and all possible solutions. Logical reasoning leads to careful decision-making, which also leads to the best solution.
How to improve decision-making skills
1. Make a plan
Make an overall plan for the situation you have to decide and the problems you have to solve. Determine the ultimate goal of the problem situation to be solved, and review and prepare the resources, support, and information necessary to effectively and efficiently proceed with the decision.
2. Set deadlines
It is important to have a deadline for making decisions before taking the first step of the decision-making process. You can focus more on the decision-making process and save time when you have to do other things together by preventing unnecessary waste of time. It may also help you improve your time management skills that make good use of your given time.
3. Limit choices
Too many alternatives to choose from can make the decision-making process difficult. Limiting selection is more likely to determine the more reasonable and most viable alternatives as solutions. In addition, it can be one way to narrow each option to the top three and decide on a solution when considering its advantages and disadvantages based on facts.
4. Keep it in perspective
When there are many issues to decide on, it is necessary to grasp the importance of each decision accurately and efficiently focus energy on large and important tasks. By correctly determining and coping with the value of each decision, the decision-making process can be made more flexibly.
Conclusion
The ability to make informed and careful decisions is a skill that is important in any workplace because it can better utilize the company’s resources and save time. Acquiring skills for effective decision-making and actively applying them to work will greatly help the development of the team and company.
References
- Alison Doyle, 2020. Important Decision-making skills that employers value. [online] Available at: < Important Decision-Making Skills That Employers Value (thebalancecareers.com)> [Accessed 10 August].
- Amanda Covaleski, 2022. The most important decision-making skills. [online] Available at:< The Most Important Decision-Making Skills (With Examples) – Zippia> [Accessed 9August].
- Indeed Editorial Team, 2021. 15 ways to improve your decision-making skills. [online] Available at:< 15 Ways To Improve Your Decision-Making Skills | Indeed.com> [Accessed 9August].
- Indeed Editorial Team, 2021. Decision-making skills: Definition and examples [online] Available at:< Decision-Making Skills: Definition and Examples | Indeed.com> [Accessed 8August].
- Lucidchart, 2022. 7 steps of the decision-making process. [online] Available at:< 7 Steps of the Decision-Making Process | Lucidchart Blog> [Accessed 12August].
