4 Steps to Making Better DecisionsDecisions are effectively a way of predicting the future, so it can be understood why people have trouble making or committing to one.

Although one may do their research or ask opinions to help them with their choice, often once a decision has been made they will still find themselves wondering whether or not they made an excellent decision.

If a decision made turns out to have a less than ideal outcome, apart from doing what can be done to adjust or change it, a key thing is to accept it, learn from it and move on.

A selection of successful leaders were recently observed and analysed. Throughout this process, they were all found to have a distinct set of characteristics and skills through the decision making process that enabled them to achieve success.

4 steps that should be undertaken to ensure an excellent decision is made:

  1. Make an effort in the research and data gathering stage – Poor decisions often occur when the research and information collected hasn’t been thorough enough. Often people will just collect the information which is easily and readily available which is in favour of their ideal outcome. However if one is to complete deep and thorough research, it ensures a deep understanding of the situation and the decision outcomes that will occur, enabling a successful decision to be made.
  2. Look at multiple solutions or ideas that would best suit the situation  Whilst it is hard to not favour one particular solution, it is critical to an organisation that multiple possibilities that will enable an ideal outcome are examined. This will enable a deep understanding of the organisation, its needs and the situation to be attained, and an excellent decision made.
  3. Be inspired  Although the information gathered from initial research is important in the decision making process, it is also important to be inspired. Research shows that a leader who is able to get employees or clients excited about a decision has a higher success rate when it comes to decision outcomes.
  4. Identify problems, trends and opportunities early  Leaders who make successful decisions were found to be so successful due to how when they made a decision, they would still be wary of any problems, trends or opportunities that could arise. By doing this, they enable themselves to still be involved and to adjust the decision that has been made accordingly before it turns out to be labelled a bad decision.

Judging a decision outcome before it occurs can be hard, however the above four steps are common occurrences and characteristics in leaders who make good decisions. Use them and there will be a rise in your excellent decision making rate.