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“Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.” – John C. Maxwell Decisions, decisions, decisions. Which assignment should I do first today? Is this client someone I want to continue working with? Where do I find new leads? Should I add a new service? Is it time to raise rates? As a freelancer, it is sometimes even hard to decide which decision to tackle first! Often freelancers are one-person businesses, leaving all decisions on one set of shoulders. Becoming more efficient at making decisions can help to make it seem less burdensome- even fun! Although there is an “ideal” method for making decisions, using the process in a different order feels more natural to many of us. That’s OK; sound decisions can be made regardless, as long as all stages of the process are consciously considered when gathering information and vetting options before taking action. This article will first introduce the ideal decision-making steps, then the variety in decision-making styles, and finally, we will look at how this may play out in your decision-making as an individual and within a team. The Steps to Making a DecisionHere are the steps in the order psychologists have deemed to be the most effective. Take in Information
Evaluate Information
In reality, once it gets going, the decision-making process is looping and cyclical; not quite as linear as the list suggests. We are curious, clever humans, after all. It’s natural for the mind to bounce back and forth throughout all steps as cross-checks along the way while a solution takes form. This is healthy and ensures that early assumptions do not become hard-and-fast premises. It leaves room for new ideas once other insights have been processed. Few of us are masters of all things business, so If you feel like you are over your head in taking on some subjects, ask your qualified friends and peers to help you think it through or hire a professional to help with the relevant stage. Make a Decision
There may be cases where you can try out two decisions and settle on the best one later. In the marketing world, this is called an A/B test. Or sometimes, the best decision is not to make a change at all. “Deciding not to decide” is, well, procrastination. Look into why you are stuck at this point in time. Revisit the steps. Is more information needed? Do the possibilities not quite align with the goal? Or are you grappling with a fear of change? Once identified, you can address the issue and regain momentum. Spending time in step 5 helps give you confidence in your decision, and that confidence can generate motivating excitement to take action. Act upon the Decision
There are various styles when it comes to this step. Some people prefer to jump in and get the ball (any ball) rolling and find it exciting to handle situations as they unfold. Others prefer to have a detailed plan to follow step-by-step before taking any action. Some like to sit on a decision for a while, just in case they get new ideas or new options come along. The trick here is to check in with yourself to ensure you are not acting too hastily or becoming victim to analysis paralysis. Things may not go exactly as planned anyway. Expecting a bit of wiggliness can help avoid frustration and keep you positive and productive. When diversions appear, refer back to your written challenge, goal and decision and use them as your guideposts. What's your Decision-Making Style?Mix up steps 1 – 4 in the list. Each possible order is a different decision-making style. Each of us has a natural, default starting point at one of the four steps (it's not necessarily going to be the ideal Step 1). Although a professional assessment is recommended for identifying your decision-making style for real, here is a quick exercise for illustrative purposes right now. Think of an issue that needs resolving. Assuming that you are already settled on the goal, what’s the nature of the first questions your mind tends to serve up? Which step do the questions and concerns align with? Where is your attention? What seems to really matter? Once those questions are answered, what is the next thing you want to know? Which step does that align with? Keep going until you feel you have the four steps in the order that feels right to you. The Benefits of Knowing your Decision-Making StyleYou may be wondering why it is essential to know your decision-making style and not just the four steps.
“Our life is the sum total of all the decisions we make every day, and those decisions are determined by our priorities.” – Myles Munroe Team DecisionsOf course, you are not always working alone in your day-to-day work. Awareness of the various decision-making styles can help you recognize and tolerate frustrating situations when other people’s minds are actively working away on different “first steps” that seem not yet relevant to you. As noted before, the mind cannot be in two places simultaneously. At any point in time, it is either focused on information gathering, option generating, logical assessment, value-based assessment, or acting on the information. And so, for example, a person whose mind is running at top speed in “option-generating” mode may not have the capacity to consider input from someone in “logical assessment” mode (and visa versa). Each person’s ideas are swirling in their head and commanding attention. Until the mind starts running out of steam in one category, it is hard to get it to focus on another category. During a brainstorming session, when it seems like contributions are being ignored or dismissed, it may be more the result of unfortunate timing than disrespect. All too often, a conversation can start with multiple people, each compelled to delve into a different problem-solving step first, excited to share their brilliant and helpful first thoughts, only to leave them feeling unheard, unrecognized, or sidelined by others (all the while inadvertently not hearing, not recognizing and sidelining other people’s first thoughts!). Until the primary concern is satisfied, the underlying question remains, “what’s the point of participating in this exercise?” and it may be like moving mountains to get someone to converse about (or even tolerate) any of the other perspectives before there is “good reason” to do so. This is not conscious or manipulative; it’s a natural side effect of how the human mind works. When a meeting starting with proactive energy devolves into a battle of priorities, it’s really a shame since, during the first step of problem-solving, a person’s top mental perspective revs up in full gear; it’s the one that they are best at, and the most creative with, so a good percentage of the results can be gems. This stage can be a fun, exhilarating flow state, totally “In the Zone.” Interrupting the flow is both a buzz-kill and counterproductive to solving the problem at hand. With your new insights on decision-making, you may even be able to put a meeting back on track by validating each person’s perspective, encouraging non-judgmental brainstorming, and taking detailed and inclusive notes. After the flurry dies down, it can help to order the notes into the four decision-making steps (in the original ideal order presented above) for determining the next steps for taking in and evaluating the information so that you can all arrive at a decision that is better than the sum of its parts. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2022/09/07/decide-to-make-better-decisions/
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AuthorI have 5+ years experience working as a medical transcriptionist. When I am not working, I enjoy sports like playing basketball or judo. I love making friends and connections. Archives
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