Making a decision is regarded as one of the most difficult things all of us have to do every single day of our lives. It is also one act that defines an individual who has a role of a leader. Although it is given that managers and company leaders are the ones who should make huge decisions, not all of them are open to this idea. In fact, many leaders of organizations don’t seem to have the guts to decide on very important matters. If you feel that you need to work with a personal coach to learn how to make important decisions, then by all means you should do it.
Whether you are a manager, a supervisor, or just a low rank employee, having good decision-making skills is a must. So for you to be considered an effective leader, and get positive results overall, here are some tips you should take into consideration:
1. There is no use trying to be perfect
Top CEOs in the world would rather get a report or project a couple of hours early even though they are not complete, than receive a finished report a few minutes late. What this means is that you shouldn’t be too scared to be not perfect. If you keep waiting for everything to be perfect to make the next move, a lot of delays will happen, which could easily overshadow the effort you have put in the work. Efficient decision makers have the courage to leap without knowing for sure they have all the answers, but they do it anyway.
2. Learn to be more independent
To be a good decision maker, you have to be ‘collaboratively independent’. This means that you should surround yourself with the best people in the organizations whom you should ask sensible questions. This is an excellent way of getting all the information you need from knowledgeable and credible sources. This is then the information that you will use as a guide as you make important decisions.
3. Give your brain some break before you decide
Great insight comes when least expected. If you have spent hours talking to people, or doing research, your brain can be overwhelmed with so much information that it could be harder to decide. Take a short break, think of something else, and just try to relax your mind and body. When you’ve taken enough rest, then go back to all the information you’ve gotten, analyze it, and then decide.
4. Don’t try too hard to solve a problem; just decide
Decisions can help solve various problems, of course, but you have to accept the fact that a single decision may not necessarily solve any problems. At times we tend to put too much pressure on ourselves by expecting that the decision we are going to make can turn things around for us and our organization. This isn’t always the case, though. What’s important is that you make the right choice, which will be a good first step towards finding a solution to a problem.
5. Accept the fact that you can make mistakes too
If you feel that your decision was not the best one to make, be mature enough to own up to it and correct your mistakes. Knowing how to admit mistakes is a trait that great leaders have, which make also make them more respectable.
It doesn’t really matter what kind and how important the decision you have to make it, you need to be aware of the possible consequences of such decisions. As a leader, you should always give it your best shot, even if it means that you have to have a personal coach.
Cecile Peterkin is a certified career and retirement coach, and a registered member of the Career Professionals of Canada and the International Coach Federation. She is also the Founder and Senior Career Strategist at Cosmic Coaching Centre, provider of career and life management services for middle managers and mid-career professionals across Canada, United States and Europe.