Decision Making

The process of making choices, usually between two or more options, is decision making defined in the simplest of terms. It is something that we all do many times throughout each day and much of it is done almost subconsciously. But if we look deeper into the decision making process we begin to see how nuanced it can be and how the different decisions influence all areas of our lives.

In every situation you are in, regardless of how big or how small, you must make decisions. Decisions equal movement so not making decisions means you aren’t moving. One of the most important factors in decision making is understanding the situation or problem needing to be addressed in order to guide your decision making process in the right direction. Knowing more about a situation or problem helps you make stronger decisions. You must also consider if you want to take risks or play it safe. These considerations can greatly influence your decision making. Risk decisions may garner more significant outcomes if they succeed but you have to DECIDE if the risk is worth the outcome. More conservative decisions may not garner the fastest or biggest results but you are not faced with the potential of risk.

There are essentially three pathways to take when making decisions: intuition, reasoning, or a combination of both. Intuition decision making is based on what your heart or “gut” is telling you. You listen to that little voice inside that guides you. Reasoning decision making is based on using input such as facts and data. With the combination pathway you are using a mix of your intuition and facts to guide your decision making.

So what does the decision making process look like? It can be different for different people, and the field you are in or type of decision you are making can also influence the decision making process. However, there are a few fundamentals of the process that will always remain.

Identify the decision needing to be made. In order to make a decision you must first identify the nature of the decision you need to make.

Information gathering. You want to ensure that you have as much information as possible in order to make the best possible decision. Sometimes lack of information can lead to a bad decision. Strive to avoid this through thorough information gathering,

Information consideration. This phase involves delving into all of the information you have gathered, as well as considering any alternative courses of action, and using this to make an informed decision. Sometimes this phase will involve others but it could also just be an internal process. Think of it as assessing pros, cons, and risks of the potential decisions.

Choice. After you have considered all of the information and potential outcomes you must then make your choice.

Action. After the choice has been made it is time to act! You will put your decision into play and monitor the outcome. If the situation does not seem to be progressing as considered you may have to back to the beginning of the process and re-evaluate.

We all make hundreds of decisions, some conscious and some unconscious, throughout the day. When we have more significant decisions it becomes important to be aware and methodical about the decision making process and how it can affect us and those around us. By understanding the process of decision making and organizing our thought process to actively participate in it, we have a higher chance of making strong, successful decisions that will progress us positively through out lives.