The average person makes over 700 decisions a day – most are small ones, like what to have for breakfast, but some decisions such as should you start a business, buy a house, get married are big ones. So how do you make smarter decisions?
- Clearly identify the specific decision you want to address. Try to avoid unwarranted assumptions and prejudices which may limit how you frame the decision and how you proceed.
- Specify the outcomes you want to achieve and which of your values, aspirations, fears and concerns are most relevant to achieving your goal.
- Work through the consequences of each possible alternative and consider the longer term implications and possible roll-on effects that each may have.
- Think outside the box – are there other ways to achieve the same goal? If so, analyse these options and the implications
- Develop a decision-making process. There are a number of decision-making tools you can use, including the SMART methodology which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. https://communicationmgmt.usc.edu/blog/the-5-keys-to-making-smart-business-decisions and a decision-making matrix. https://asana.com/resources/decision-matrix-examples
