Leadership Tip

How to make better decisions faster

Decision-making overload is a common experience among managers. But you can process choices more efficiently and achieve better outcomes by using a checklist.

  1. Write down five goals that will be impacted by the decision. This helps you avoid the rationalisation trap of making up reasons for your choices later.
  2. Write down at least three realistic alternatives.
  3. Write down the most important information you are missing.
  4. Write down the impact your decision will have a year from now.
  5. Get buy-in from a team of at least two (but no more than six) stakeholders. Hearing different perspectives reduces your bias, but bigger groups have diminishing returns.
  6. Write down what was decided as well as why and how much the team supports the decision. This increases commitment and helps you measure results.
  7. Schedule a follow-up in a month or two to make course corrections.

The above leadership tip...
was sent in response to a question from a participant on our 10/10 leadership development and mentoring programme and adapted from A Checklist for Making Faster, Better Decisions by Erik Larson. Whether you're a first time manager or an experienced leader, straightforward, practical advice on best practice is hard to find. Until now. To find out how you, your team or your organisation can benefit, please join us on our next complimentary webinar or contact us.

 

Subscribe

Free weekly email on things you didn't know last week with links to articles on leadership excellence. To view previous editions click here.


Unlock your potential

Whether face to face, or over the telephone, we can develop your leadership skills, support you in making important decisions, and help you reach your potential.

Read More

Leadership Articles

10 actions for effective communication

High-quality communication is an essential element in business and organisational performance. Effective communication relies on engaging with people, having a commitment to building strong and productive relationships and realising that we communicate... read more

10 actions for advancing your career

Standing out at work isn’t about wearing a flashy hat - though, that could help. The more effective way to make an impact is by developing the skills that will get you noticed. Here are 10 strategies for advancing your career: Make skills... read more

10 actions for achieving best performance

Success does not begin with radically changing the way you work or acquiring new skills: the first step is to take what you already do to the highest level.  However trivial it may seem, if you can do a task more smartly than you did before, and... read more

Leadership Tips

How to make your habits stick

When it comes to building lasting habits, strict routines aren't always the answer. Research suggests that while consistency is important, the ability to adapt is what truly makes habits stick. As a leader, balancing structure with flexibility can help... read more

How to create a vision that motivates

Great leaders don’t just set goals - they paint a compelling picture of the future that energizes people to act. A motivating vision doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but it does need to be clear, grounded, and empowering. Here’s how to create one that... read more

How to be more assertive

The more words you use, the more it sounds like you don’t know what you’re talking about. Long explanations often come across as uncertainty or overcompensation. Two or three clear sentences will always sound more confident - and more respectful of... read more