What is decision making?
Decision making is a process used to determine the best option when you have a handful of actions to take about a particular situation. Decisions are part of our daily lives. It is more difficult coming to a decision when there are seemingly equally helpful alternatives to consider. So, having clear judgment is really important for making decisions. Making decisions in a group is equally challenging because you need to take into account everyone’s perspective. Reaching a resolution becomes significantly more difficult and time-consuming, especially if the group is large. However, an effective decision must be made and on time.
Importance of decision making process
Making decisions, especially good decisions, is the key to solving problems. For instance, let’s assume you have an electronics business in Accra Ghana. If you wish to open a branch in another city in Ghana, you need to access the risks associated with each location. The branch location could be Kumasi, Takoradi, Cape Coast, or any other. Definitely, expanding to other locations can improve profitability. So, it won’t help to remain indecisive about where to open the branch. The same holds true for all other events or situations where choices must be made. It could be done to determine a life partner, a city to live in, a course to study, or a business to do. Without decisions, wrong or right, people stay in a rut.
Decision making process
To arrive at a decision, you first need to identify and access the problem or situation. Then develop a list of all the potential solutions or approaches to deal with the issue. This is not something to do in a hurry. You need to thoroughly investigate the pros and cons of each option or alternative. However, don’t remain fixed at this point. You must evaluate each option carefully and make your decision within the shortest time frame possible. Then, go ahead and implement it. The outcome may be favorable. It may not be. But then, it’s important to act first and then review your decision in light of the result.
Do you suck at making decisions?
The criteria to check against are listed below. Do not forget that it is not an issue of whether you make wise or foolish decisions. It is that you cannot follow the steps of decision making process. However, every decision, good or terrible, is useful. You can gain knowledge from mistakes. Making poor decisions is preferable to making none at all.
1. Apathy
This alludes to a lack of enthusiasm for novel projects or the specifics of how to accomplish something more effectively. This is quite similar to complacency, which is a state of contentment with one’s accomplishments. Apathy is when a person shows little interest in making new choices that will advance them. They believe that what they have or their current situation is sufficient. They don’t care about new opportunities.
2. Decidophobia: Fear of decision making
Decidophobia (coined by Walter Kaufmann) is a word used to refer to the fear of making decisions. You may exhibit this fear because you don’t want to make wrong decisions. However, there is a bigger danger in indecision which often results from this. This baseless fear can cripple the mind of a person.
3. Analysis paralysis
This is a situation where one wastes so much effort and time excessively analyzing different alternatives. The person therefore is unable to take any particular action, as they do not want to make the wrong decision. This lowers personal productivity to a very large extent.
4. Perfectionism: Wanting zero-risk decision making
Perfectionism is the act of always wanting things to be done flawlessly. As no decision is 100% risk-free, a perfectionist will rarely make a choice from many options. So, if you tend to always seek perfect solutions, you will struggle with the decision making process.
5. Insecurity
Are you usually an insecure person? Insecurity will make you have no faith in your own ideas or actions. You can’t succeed with decision making in management. This translates to an absolute lack of confidence in your capacity for sound judgments. Self-confidence issues make it difficult for someone to lead or be in a position to make important decisions.
6. Anxiety
Anxiety is a worried or shaky emotional state. If you are easily agitated or enthusiastic, there is a potential that you will defer crucial decisions. The reason is not far-fetched. If your choice doesn’t work out, you may slide into depression or nervous breakdown.
7. Complaisance
Complaisance is a tendency to want to please other persons, rather than stand up for one’s convictions. A complaisant fellow readily succumbs to what they do not even believe in. Because they are people pleasers, other people must often make decisions for them.
8. Spontaneity
This is the attribute of acting without making the necessary preparations. Effective decision-makers take the time to plan. Think of a leader who wakes up daily with no plans in place. Such person will find it difficult to take timely actions as events unfold. People are often indecisive when things happen suddenly. If they make any decisions then, they will most likely be wrong.
9. Procrastination
Time management is very important. There are decisions that depend on other activities. If one postpones such activities, they will also postpone the decisions that should emanate from them. If you are a procrastinator, you won’t be a good decision taker too.
10. Evasion (of responsibilities)
Leaders are not known for evasion or neglect of responsibilities. If you see yourself constantly avoiding what is right to do, just know that you will hardly willingly take the right action about anything else. Decision making is a leadership trait. If you are irresponsible, you may not do well in it.
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My Air Xperience
Prosper T. Nwankwo is a Nigerian writer with well pronounced talents. Content writing is one of his strong suits. While blogging professionally, Mr. Prosper maintains his interests in technology and real estate. He publishes for My Air Xperience and other websites.