Rational analysis, intuition, input from others, and subconscious drives are among the many factors involved in making decisions, and often pull us in different directions. What reflexes can help to improve the reliability of your decisions?
01
Take your intuitions into account
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What does your intuition tell you? Might your thinking be subconsciously influenced?
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On what is your intuition based? Are you sufficiently experienced in the matter to rely on your gut?
02
Vary your perspectives
- Try to expand your vision of the topic by gathering the perspectives of people whose viewpoint differs from your own.
03
Reinforce your lucidity
- Be aware of feelings and fears likely to influence you, e.g. Could your desire for challenge and novelty be pushing you to support an ambitious project too enthusiastically?
Take action
Reach a collective decision (2h)
Phases of open disagreement are often necessary to reach a decision shared by all.
On a topic of moderate stake, give everyone the time to express his/her views. If needed, ask questions to ensure this position is clear for everyone. Ask the others to listen without expressing judgment at this stage.
Then encourage everyone to defend their position with reasons. Make sure the people debate about ideas without judging each other.
Make a visible transition to a phase of dialogue. E.g. now that we have fully understood the different perspectives, we need to find a solution. Encourage everyone to take a step back and to build from the various solutions that have been considered. Persevere until a satisfactory solution is approved by all.
Involve your team members in your next strategic decision (1h)
Enabling everyone to help find solutions to the enterprise issues is a strong lever for commitment.
Invite your staff to a team-thinking session before making an important decision. Present the data that you have and explain what you are expecting from the meeting.
Ask open questions to enable the discussion to progress without restricting the group’s ideas. Ensure that everyone participates. Ask of one of your staff to make a note of all the contributions.
Ask the team to prioritize the ideas and actions on which to work first. At the end of the meeting, thank your staff for their contributions. Keep them informed of the next steps.
Make a list of the personal biases that could influence your decision (20 min)
Becoming aware of the biases that influence our decisions can reduce their impact.
Before making your next decision, identify your past experiences’ filters that could impact this decision:
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Have you already experienced similar situations in the past? Were they globally positive or negative?
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What is your feeling towards this decision? Is there something personal involved? E.g., a friendship at stake, a previous commitment to respect.
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Can your current state of mind “color” the perception of the situation too pessimistically or too optimistically?
Make a written note of these different elements to keep them in mind. When making your decision, review this check-list.
Practical Tips
> How to facilitate discussions for effective collective decision making (opens in a new window)
> When to involve others in decision-making?
Find out more
> Improve the reliability of your intuition as a tool in making decisions
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