Ten Common Mistakes in Decisioning

10. Not taking the required time: Often, decisions are made impulsively, under times of stress, and when the adrenaline is peaking…that is not the best time to make any decision, big or small (unless it is an emergency). Remember the MODELTM System. The largest block of time is devoted to the first step.

9. No authentic commitment. Once the decision is made, the best decision makers stick with it with their full energy and concentration. To make a decision, and then not follow through with it is the worst possible decision.

8. It is vital to deal in the truth. Often, decisions will get made to please others or to avoid something where the result is disappointment. Employing the SWOT analysis (a proven decisioning devise) can help in being ruthless with the truth.

7. In certain decisioning dilemmas, there are times to just “say no.” Some still think they need to be all things to all people. Realistically in decisioning, that is not actually possible.

6. It is easy to get stymied by procrastination. Often, decisioning hits a road block, and it gets postponed. By failing to make a decision, you have categorically made one. No decision becomes the decision. This decision falls in the infamous category of “I want to think about it” which can last forever?

5. Relying on exclusively subjective sources (e.g. Astrology, Chance, Farmers Almanac, Superstition, Cultural, Man-Made Beliefs, etc…) where the list can be endless and the product can be totally vague. Maybe fine for entertainment, but not for life issues.

4. Overconfidence in one's own judgment leads to failing to collect, ignoring, or simply refusing to accept factual and due diligence information that conflicts with your own opinions or assumptions. This results in a narrow path to decisioning.

3. Demanding dictatorship in decision making is equivalent to "I know all the answers." No matter what is said here, chances are, it will not be received in the right spirit.

2. Shooting from the hip ("winging it") is often the result of trying to keep too much information in your head (so the decision is forced out) instead of using a methodical, objective and systematic process of evaluation and decisioning.

1. Not owning or employing an objective and proven model, system or formula for decisioning. This one area alone can make or break the decisioning process. Please consider the MODELTM System as a reliable, simple and proven alternative to total subjectivity?

ZDT Author’s Note:

Add and/or subtract from this list with your own experiences…
Here are a couple of extras:

Value Other’s Expertise:
Build a team of others whose opinion you can seek for its capacity for honesty and expertise. Re: See ZDT blog post: “Your Virtual Dream Team”

Let Others Decide:
To create time for yourself, free others to make decisions at their own level. You do not want to be in control of everything. This is one of the biggest wasters of time for many managers and others. But, you want them to decide with the right process…Give them the book: Zillion Dollar Thinking TM.

As always…you decide.