by D. P. Noe

Created on: November 23, 2008

Every day a manager has to make decisions that affect their staff. The path to decision making can be complicated. There is always the chance that a decision will be wrong or even harmful. There are some sound practices that are helpful when it comes to decision making.

The most important thing to recognize is that in order to make a sound decision, you need to identify the clear criteria for making a decision. Look at whether you are making the right decision, and if you can get commitment from the staff to implement the decision.

In order to make a sound decision you will need to gather information from all those involved and who it will affect. Do not make the mistake of not gathering enough information. Most staff want to be involved in decisions that affect their working environment. Even if you think you can make the decision by yourself, you will get more bang for the buck by involving employees in the decision making process.

When a manager encounters problems, it is wise to draw on past experience for insight on the best way to handle the problem. Identify similiar situations you have dealt with in the past and what you did to fix it. What kind of options were available and would they work in the current situation?

Never make erroneous assumptions about an issue. Make sure that you have a clear understanding so you can gather all the correct and appropriate information that is needed.

Learn to draw on the expertise in your organization. Ask questions of staff that are in your own department and those that are outside of your department. It will be surprising to find what an outsider can provide towards making a decision.

Always carefully identify the issue and then define it You can define an issue in a number of different ways, You need to examine the different ways an issue can be viewed. There is always more than one opinion out there. Be careful that you do not invent or enhance information to support your own conclusions. Invite a peer to be the skeptic and ask you questions, this will guard against wrong decisions being made.

A red flag should go up if after you make decisions you have to frequently backtrack. Are you gathering information too quickly and should have waited until you have more of the facts? If you are making decisions too quickly, you have wasted a lot of your time and effort. If you are feeling pressured into making a decision that you are not ready to make, ask for more time. Provide the person putting pressure on you with a reasonable time and date you can state your decision.

Do not make decisions driven by emotion. It is never a wise choice to make a decision when you are angry or upset. It is not the right time until you have calmed down and feel some balance in your emtional state. This is the way you can judge if the decision you made is the best one or simply the one that felt right at the moment.

When managers do not make timely decisions, they miss deadlines, waste money and irritate individuals who are counting on them. Collaborate decision making will often produce the best results. If you have made a poor decision, bury it and go on. Do not let a bad decision hinder any future efforts to make sound decisions and implement the best processes.

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