Clear thinking leads to confident decision-making. When confronted with a challenging choice, eliminate distractions and define the underlying issue. Consider: what is most important? What are the potential outcomes? The Quad Chart (urgency vs. importance) can be a fast and powerful tool for clarity. Furthermore, gaining clarity reduces what needs to be decided before involved decision processes begin. Avoid letting the uncertainty of a decision paralyze you by deciding first if a decision needs to be made. If so, break the decisions into smaller, manageable steps to make each aspect more clear. Clarity empowers you to act with purpose rather than hesitation.
Utilizing well-established decision-making paradigms can help leaders make high-quality business and organizational decisions. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, depending on the context and the goal. By learning about these approaches and understanding when to use them, leaders can better grasp the ‘when,’ ‘why,’ ‘what,’ and ‘how’ of decision-making processes.
Tyler de la Plaine, Founder and Principle Consultant
Thrive Venture Consulting — bringing people and ideas together.