If you are in a management or leadership position at work, you may feel under a certain amount of pressure whenever the time comes to make important decisions. This can be stressful, as your decision will affect not only yourself but also those who work for you and beside you. This is why it is essential to have a sound decision-making process and to follow a routine that will maximize your ability to make the best decisions for your firm. Here are six tips to improve your decision–making process:
- Define the Problem: To start the decision-making process, you must first have a firm grasp on what the problem is. Step back and evaluate the situation to determine what it is that you are trying to solve. When you have a clearly defined problem, you will have a far easier time reaching a decision.
- Gather Information: Work with your colleagues and mentors to gather all relevant information about the situation. Find out what may have caused the problem and who can best help to solve it. Learn everything you can about how this took place and what direction it needs to go.
- Brainstorm: When you feel that you have enough information, you can begin brainstorming solutions with your peers. Come up with several options, keeping them relatively simple so that people can provide their input and suggestions. The critical part here is to collaborate with others so that you begin to steer your workers towards a coherent, cohesive solution.
- Seek Alternatives: Your solution may end up coming from your original brainstorming session, but it is still important to seek out alternative advice. You want to have a diverse array of potential solutions to give yourself the best chance to fix the problem. Speak to your employees and consider getting outside help from a consultant or another department. A fresh set of eyes may be just what you need when evaluating your problems and figuring out how to fix it.
- Take Action: Once you have come to a consensus about the best solution, it is time to implement the plan. Make sure that everyone is on the same page and those who are involved are well aware of his or her role in this implementation. Carrying out a solution requires teamwork and dedication, so it is important to clarify all of the steps that must be taken. Continue to evaluate as your plan is implemented – you can always make changes if something does not go as planned, but you should make sure to be in tune with the process.
- Evaluate the Outcome: As the manager, you will probably have the best idea of whether or not your solution was ideal. You should always evaluate the outcomes of your decisions in order to understand better any potential problems that may arise in the future. Decision-making is about learning from your mistakes and playing to your strengths. Keep this in mind throughout every step of the process.