7 important steps in the process of making decisions
We make decisions every day. Go on the bus to work or call a car? Chocolate or vanilla ice cream? Two percent or whole milk?
It is lots of effort to come up with these small choices. How can we make more difficult decisions when making these basic choices?
In the workplace, making decisions aren't as simple as deciding what milk you'd like for your latte in the morning. Knowing the process of making decisions is vital.
Step 1: Identify the decision that needs to be taken
When you're identifying the choice, you should ask yourself a few questions:
What is the problem that needs to be addressed?
What are your objectives in making this decision? How will it help you achieve them?
What are the best ways to measure success?
These are common goal setting strategies that ultimately help you come up with solutions. After the issue has been clearly defined, you will have the information you need to make the right decision about how to solve the issue.
Step 2: Collect pertinent details
The gathering of information that relates to the decision that is being taken is a crucial factor in making an informed decision. Do you have any historical information related to this issue? Do you know if this problem has been solved previously?
You must also search outside your team or company for information. Making informed decisions is dependent on information from a variety of sources. Find external resources such as market research, working with consultants, or conversing with colleagues from a different firm with knowledge. Gathering information helps your team identify different solutions to your problem.
Step 3: Identify alternatives to the solutions
This means that you must consider a variety of possible solutions to the problem. The search for more than one solution is essential when it comes to business decision-making because different stakeholders may have different requirements based on their role. For example, if a company is searching for a management tool, the design team may require different requirements than the development team. Picking one option right away may not be the best option.
Step 4: Weigh the evidence
This is the time to combine the various solutions you've come up with to determine how they could help solve your issue. Your team will begin to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and eliminating alternative solutions from the list of options.
Your team may employ various strategies to assess and evaluate evidence. Click here: FS D8 Dice for details.
List of pros and cons
SWOT analysis
Decision matrix
Step 5: Choose among the possibilities
Next, you need to take a final decision. Take into consideration all the information you've gathered, and consider how your decision may affect each stakeholder.
Sometimes the right decision may not be one of the options or even a combination of a few different alternatives. Your team and you should be able think outside the box when making choices.
Step 6: Get active
Once the final decision maker approves then it's time to put the solution into the right direction. Create an implementation plan to ensure that your team is on the same page regarding the next steps. The next step is for you to put the plan in action. You can track the progress to determine if it was a good idea.
Step 7: Reevaluate your decision and consider the consequences it has (both good, and bad).
After you've decided You can then review the success metrics you set out in the first step. This is how you can assess if the solution is in line with the criteria of your team for success.
These are some of the questions you should consider when reviewing your choice.
Was it able to solve the issue that your team identified in step one?
What impact the decision had for your organization?
Which stakeholders benefited from this decision? Which stakeholders were impacted negatively?
If this solution was not the best alternative for your team, they could benefit from an iterative approach to project management. This lets your team adapt quickly to changing circumstances and get the best use of the resources available to them.