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Top Effective Decision Making Tactics For Managers

Guest post by: Martin Haworth

Article Overview: As individuals, we make our decisions all day long. And when we are in a management role, we have the challenge of making decisions that affect others in your team - and the bigger outcomes too...

Top Effective Decision Making Tactics For Managers

One of the most important elements of the role of manager, is how they make decisions. Decision making is all about that thing that challenges us day in, day out and how to get it right, in a timely fashion, so that our work can progress.

And how often has this activity been so tough for many, that - perhaps even more frustratingly - no decision at all is the outcome!

Yet it need not be this way. Many people make decision making much harder than necessary. So, maybe it's time to put some of those mysteries to bed and create some clues for the way forward.

To keep momentum and pace, you have to be good at making effective decisions. Yet it is so very easy for managers to be challenged with it.

For those who find it easy, this would be the way they see it, for the best at decision making are good because they...

1. Capture Information

They are good at understanding the appropriate level of information they need. Not too much (or they never decide) and not too little (or the risk of making the wrong decision is too great).

2. Have a Focus

Their Decision Making is based on some clear criteria for their whole business or organizational map. One good one is 'Is this a value-creating outcome?'

3. Take Their Time

Good decision makers decide when the time is just right. Sometimes in the moment, other times after consideration. And even sleep on it, maybe, when pushed by others and then, sometimes, owners of the issue make their own decision in the meantime.

4. Keep Others Informed

When a decision is pending, good decision makers keep those involved in the input and outcomes of the decision in the loop. They value those people by following through and communicating well.

5. Aren't Afraid

And decisions are there to be made and not 'toyed' with. Prevarication here is often the worst option. Worse even than making the wrong decision...and is one of the biggest frustrations to those involved.

6. Involve Others

By working with others in a constructive way, the together decisiveness builds confidence in the leader. Often, as part of the information gathering cycle, opinions are sought as information and valued. Ideas off the wall from others, can regularly provide the best decision - so they do not miss the opportunity.

7. Are Accountable

Through making the best decision at the time, great decision makers know they, and they alone are accountable. That is the role they have chosen and the burden they carry - no one else gets the blame.

8. Know Their Limits

Sometimes decisions are outside the scope of a manager. The best one's know where the boundary of their decision making lies and pitch their level of accountability accordingly.

9. Show Commitment

Once the decision is made, the best decision makers stick with it with their full energy and focus. Making a decision and not following through is the worst possible sort of decision.

10. Learn from Mistakes

Reviewing the performance of a decision is a vital part of developing and honing those skills. Great decision makers develop a formal or informal process with which to measure the caliber of their outcomes.

Decision making requires practice and by developing the skill that you need as a manager, you will become more effective and bring the rest of your team along with you, as their confidence in your capabilities grows.

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Article Tags: decision making, effective decisions, making decisions, management development



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