Your First and Last Decision

What was your first decision?
What will be your last decision?

Like many, you probably cannot answer either of these two questions. One is a matter of memory while the other is an issue of timing. The more interesting question is that if you could answer both of those questions with certainty, how would that change your approach to decisioning…and even life?

Decisioning in the Now

The definitive position about decisioning is what is being made in-between these two questions…in the now. What is your effectiveness? How important is it to you? What are you doing to get better at it? Do you use any systems, techniques or guidelines? How do you measure your progress? What are you trends?

This subject is white hot for obvious reasons. You can use any search engine to find that millions of results will emerge from the subject word of “decisions or decisioning.” That is the rub. To much information causes overload, and with overload comes the tendency to become confused and then paralyzed about the subject.

Again, the reason and purpose of our ZDT Blog is to inform, motivate and encourage you to become activated and energized about decisioning where you are [in the now], and to transfer the same challenge to those around you.

Insert from the article:
How Important is Decision-Making?
by Moya K. Mason

“The first and most important component of decision-making is self confidence. The second element is the ability to be analytical. The value of analysis cannot be overstated because it allows a person to systematically break down a situation and see its individual parts. Thirdly, a major part of decision-making is the ability to think critically. The great value of critical thought can be traced all the way back to the philosopher Socrates (b.399 B.C.) of Athens, who advocated that critical thought and self-reflection are major components of what it is to be human.

The last two attributes of being a decisive person is the understanding of the value of research (due diligence) and the ability to manage conflict, within yourself and your belief structure. All these components make up decisive behavior techniques and flow out of an overall orientation toward action, and an assumption of risk. These components do encourage individual development through self-awareness, as well as skill acquisition and improved competence.

Possessing the right set of attributes and having the courage to make a decision, does not mean the work is all done. You should have your own decision-making process which must take your communication network, your staff, and your stakeholders into consideration.

There must be a set of steps to incorporate the above elements into a process. Of course, this can be tailored differently for each scenario, but it might work something like this: Research a situation thoroughly -- analyze all the components -- think of all the people who will be effected by your decision -- think everything through using innovative and strategic thought processes -- have the self-confidence to make a short or long term decision and the commitment to stand by it -- communicate it to your staff -- and have the ability to overcome the conflict that may arise from the decision. Never forget evaluation.”

ZDT Author’s Note:

At the end, when all you can do is to look back, you may confess that your first real decision may well have set the course of your entire life (for the good or bad), and your last decision may have had something to do with why you are now getting to look back.

Point is, decisioning is a critical function in everyone’s life and for all of their life. Hopefully, and with all of our new technologies, how you are deciding now is getting more effective than it was in the past.

We never know when a particular decision will be our last one.


*How Important is Decision-Making?
by Moya K. Mason

Full article and credits:
http://www.moyak.com/papers/leadership-qualities.html