September 13, 2018
ISSN# 1545-2646
How do you make decisions?
We all have various behavioral styles that express decisions that we make. Some of us show a more demanding/control oriented demeanor. Others are more reserved, methodical in their approach to the outward expression of the decision. Still, others have many others ways to express the decisions they make.
That is just the outward delivery of the decision. What gears are turning on the inside when you are faced with making decisions? Do you use your gut level instincts? Do you rely on the gathering of data points and analyzing them? What is your process or method?
Maybe you never stopped and thought about it. In the day to day interactions with many business owners, I witness a variety of styles and processes for decision making. Some are very good and some get in the way of the end desired results. No one way is right for everyone nor even for the same person.
I would always encourage an owner to have and understand the data points related to the decision at hand. This is the metrics side of the business. Hiring additional staff or making terminations without understanding the financial ramification outlined in numbers, then you are back to guessing. Guessing should never be confused with gut instinct. Gut instinct absolutely plays a role as it can factor in such subconscious items as attitude or past experiences with situations that either proved good or bad.
The level of impact a decision may have on a business, person, client etc. plays into the process as well. Where you are going to eat lunch may have little impact on your business that day unless you are meeting a client and then location can either send an intended statement or conform to a particular objective of the conversation to be had at the meeting. The impact a change in employee benefits can affect how you and your business are looked at in the eyes of not just your employees but the families of those employees.
This week as you make decisions take a few moments to capture in your mind the process you take and the level of intensity you are putting into the decision. You will find that your approach differs based on various factors. Knowing what those factors are can help you when many decisions are at hand and you don’t just move from one to the next using the same process. This can lead to decisions which others think you put no thought process into and simply went by your gut.
The more strategic the decision is the more intense the energy. As decisions get more tactical, you may use fewer data points and more gut instinct. That is not always the best practice. Sometimes skipping steps on tactical decision leads to having to make greater strategic decisions because the end result of weak tactical decisions now forces a strategic decision in its place.
Wondering how you go about decision making? Give JKL Associates a call and we can explore your process. Call us at 313-527-7945.