What everybody ought to know about making decisions 

One of the most overlooked details about decisions is that not making one is a decision after all. Leading causes for indecision are procrastination, paralysis through analysis, and fear of the consequences when a choice is made. Trust goes down, cost and time go up – it’s a train wreck waiting to happen.

Nothing is worse that hanging in limbo with a problem that you know will cause issues no matter what you decide doing. A close relative to this one is when you have the feeling that you do not have enough information. It results in waiting for the golden solution that may never materialize, because there is always more information available after time passes by.

It does not need to end up in yet another waiting loop of indecision. Please find below a quick recipe for effective decision making:

1. Take inventory of all assumptions, facts, projections, opinions, and perceptions. 
2. Weigh and leverage the consequences of the decision you need to make. 
3. Generate plan A and a backup plan B 
4. Set a deadline for making the decision
5. Stick to the deadline
6. Make the decision – do not hesitate or procrastinate
7. Scan for ramifications
8. Make corrections to the project and / or future plans where needed.

What can make the problem worse nowadays is that we are barraged by a constant stream of information and distractions. It should not be a surprise when so many decisions are not made just because we are all have a case of information overload. Take your time to ponder the best case and the worst case outcome – but then move on.

Ralf