Making Smart Decisions
When a problem arises, it's easy to make up your mind about the first solution that surfaces. The more you think about it, the more you think it's the right thing to do. It's human nature to go the easy route and become adamant about it along the way. But you have to think outside the box and see what other possibilities there could be to solve your problem. Like in an elaborate game of chess, you must foresee outcomes for every possible action, constantly planning many moves ahead.
Perhaps you could get rid of the billing department and contract out the duties to another firm. Acquiring the more user-friendly software, which was proposed to you last month, cannot be an option as it's not compatible with your mainframe. Changing the mainframe? There always are other choices.
5- Seek out opinions
Two brains are always better than one. Different people think differently and may have some insight to contribute to the situation. Asking is not a sign of weakness, if anything you'll be regarded as someone who cares about his co-workers. Even if you're the boss, you must realize that a company is not a one-man army. It's an ongoing collective effort built on combined brainpower.
Seek the help of people you trust and whose judgment you value, even if you're the one responsible for the decision when all the chips are down. Ask what others would do, and ask employees of the billing department if they see any way of rectifying the hitch.
6- Evaluate the risks
All decisions involve some level of risk-taking. If you opt to take the family to a ballgame, you might miss a career-altering e-mail. Fate is one nasty broad and has very little sympathy. So before you actually go ahead and make the decision, you must evaluate the risks each option leads to.
If you go down the subcontracting path, your unionized employees might very well get angry and go on strike to save jobs. The new software will take some getting used to and setbacks are inevitable. You must be aware of these hazards and be ready to live with whatever they may bring.
7- Make the decision
Once you've evaluated the pros and cons, the pluses and minuses, the Yin and Yang, you must make and implement your resolution. Make the arrangements for the billing department to be transferred to a third party, write a detailed memo to explain your course of action to your employees, and ride the storm.
You should have a precise plan and execute every step carefully. You must stand your ground and deal with the consequences, although you may be able to do damage control and reshape your decision if you see things aren't going as they should.
8- Evaluate the results
They call it experience because it's a learning opportunity. We praise our successes and gain knowledge from our mistakes, the latter being more easily remembered. How did your decision reap benefits? Was it a total flop? Did you really follow every step of your action plan?
Get feedback from the people who were directly involved in your assessment. Analyze whether given similar circumstances, you would act the same way again. The next time will be that much easier.
it's not too difficultFinally, you'll realize that making smart decisions isn't the Herculean task you thought it would be. If you follow every step and use a cool head throughout, you should be fine and have no opportunity for regret. Remorse is the most useless feeling anyone can live through as it involves longing for the proverbial time machine. Think, analyze, and never regret.