Whether on a personal or an organizational level, decisions need to be
implemented. Thus, it's vital that you, as a leader, be personally committed to
the decision. You also need to be able to persuade other people of the merits
of your decision so that you may get their support.
But decision-making isn't always easy. In fact, there are a number of
things that can prevent you from making good decisions. Below are some of them:
Not having enough information.
Without sufficient information, it would be like you're making a
decision based on nothing. You have to be responsible for gathering the
necessary information that will enable you to make the right choices. If you
are pressed for time, identify which information is most vital for your
decision-making.
Having too much information.
When you have too much information that is conflicting, it will be
impossible for you to see what has to be done. This is often referred to as
analysis paralysis, which is sometimes used as a tactic to cause delays in
organizational decision-making. You can solve this problem by gathering
everyone involved so you can all together decide which information is
important.
Too many people are involved.
It could be difficult to make decisions by committee. Every member will
have their own views, opinions, and even values. Although it's important that
you take into account the opinions of each person involved, you need to take responsibility for making the final decision.
There are vested interests.
Vested interests are not always expressed clearly, but they could become
blockage to a group's ability to make a decision. In these cases, it would help
to look into the rational aspects with all stakeholders. It is also a good idea
to have an external facilitator who will support the process.
Emotional attachments.
Many decisions involve the need for change, and many people find it hard
to deal with changes. If you are to make a personal decision and you are
attached to the status quo, you need to assess the situation very carefully so
that you could weigh the pros and cons of your possible decision.
No emotional attachment at all.
It would be hard to make a decision on something that you don't care
about. In such cases, you have to use logical and practical reasoning so you
could come up with a decision that will yield positive results for the parties
involved, which don't necessarily include you.
Conclusion
There are a number of decision making techniques that you can use,
whether you have to make personal or professional decisions. If you're still
having a hard time deciding for yourself or for your department, you could
always run to a personal coach for help. A personal coach will not make
the decision for you, but he or she will assist you in coming up with right
decisions.
