You can’t call me indecisive most of the times. Sometimes, however I am unable to make a decision, or regret one the next day. Why making decision is a problem and how do you know if you made a smart decision?
Decision making process is a course they teach in MBA schools and universities. Time and time again you can see though high-school dropouts who through well-made decisions became successful businessmen. Obviously your decisions are influenced by a number of factors and circumstances. Here’s a brief overview of how to make a smart decision in a timely fashion.

There is many life and death decisions. Like when firefighter has to go into a burning house or when surgeon has to make an incision. I’d like to concentrate here on decisions on a much lesser scale – ordinary decisions we have to make every day in a small business.

Ancient Greeks had a simple model of decision making: Your mind and emotions react to your environment, pressuring your will to make a decision resulting in action.
Every decision has unavoidable consequences. No one can see all the consequences at the time of making decision. This cannot stop you, however from making decisions every day.

Here’s my list of tips for decision making process. Pardon me, if some of them are just too obvious for you – you are probably a good decision maker

• Include input from others. You can’t be right all the time.
• If a large group is a stakeholder in your decision making, consider methodology called: ‘Dotmocracy” (dotmocracy.org)
• If your decision affects your business direction, learn about process called: SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and apply it in writing to your situation. http://www.ehow.com/how_2034214_analyze-small-business-swot.html
• Facing complex decisions with multiple variables, use computer software to evaluate choices by considering many variables at once, separating facts from value judgments, and explaining your choice to others. (http://www.logicaldecisions.com/)
• Research information on your alternatives but put an end to collecting information about your decision. Avoid thinking that with just a little more time and information, you’ll be able to make a perfect decision.
• Think honestly about any fears, motives or biases guiding your thinking. Recognize them for what they are.
• Make a list of options available, list possible consequences of each action and weigh the importance and likelihood of the various consequences. Can you synthesize the available alternatives into a compromise that maximizes the pros and minimizes the cons?.
• Try to gain some experience in the area of your decision: For instance if you want to set up an office in Dubai, go there yourself or at least talk at length to someone who has done it already.
• If all else fails, go with your gut feeling.

Sometimes you had an input, number of meetings, researched information and you’re further from any decision than at the very beginning. Maybe your picture isn’t clear enough?

“Whatever couldn’t be summarized on a single page is neither well thought out nor ripe for decision.” – said Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Look how Go4decision helps you bring all to agreeable decision fast: http://www.go4decision.com/index.php/shop/going-to-do-the-proper-thing

If you are keen to learn more about decision making try these resources:

Book: Get Smarter : Life and Business Lessons by Seymour Schulich
This is a mentoring book primarily for the 20-to-40-year-old with entrepreneurial aspirations. Many older folks will also derive considerable inspiration from the life and business lessons contained in Get Smarter. In examining his own life Seymour Schulich, a Canadian billionaire and philanthropist, realized that at age 20 he-like others his age-knew very little and was aware of that fact. At 30, he writes, one thinks one has acquired a lot of wisdom. Upon later reflection, however, he realized he knew very little at that age, too! In short, stand-alone chapters he covers such universal issues as: -How to make a decision -Manage all types of relationships -Choose a career -Deal with adversity -Key business issues -Investing lessons Website.

Course in Precision Management: http://home.mindspring.com/~ejaffa/courses/11.html by Dr Elliott B. Jaffa
Are you overwhelmed with multiple projects, missed deadlines, more and more unproductive meetings, people vying for your time, fires to put out, and piles of reading?
After taking this course you will be able to:
• Complete your top 3 priorities each day and avoid management by crisis
• Accomplish MORE in LESS time
• Handle a piece of paper (report, proposal, correspondence) only once
• Eliminate over two dozen of your biggest time wasters
• Eliminate interruptions from drop-in visitors and phone calls
• Make meetings - those you lead and attend - more productive
• Delegate to the person who can do it best
• Assert yourself and say “NO”
• Become a better decision-maker

Don’t doubt yourself! - If you made a decision, go with it. Don’t change your mind every time somebody says something that makes you unsure. It’s YOUR decision! Also, don’t let others make your decisions for you. If you do, you risk being controlled by someone who knows less about your problems than you do.

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