How do you make decisions when everything is connected?

What is the current situation and what is the goal are two different phases. 1. Situation appraisal first. What is the context? 2. Knowing the context allows for establishing goal/s. 3. We can now generate alternatives to meet those (no judging yet). 4. Once you have a number of alternatives, which ones meet the goals best imparted to each other. (quality, cost, timeliness, etc. ). 4a. What are the risks and unintended consequences (everything’s connected as you say). 5. Now detailed planning to prove the option will deliver while meeting constraints. 6. Execute and adapt. Encompassing all of these steps is the way folk interact with one another. No one of us is as smart as all of us. Effective Solution = Quality x Acceptance

I’d like to add that after you figure out what problem you're facing, it's good to think with an open mind. Just because a solution seems easy doesn't mean it's the best choice. Imagine looking at a puzzle from different angles to find the best fit.

When decisions get tough, for me, that's a sign I'm trying to make the decision only with my head. Making a decision that feels good, and aligned, comes from involving the head AND the heart. To do this, I step away from the debate in my head by doing something else. When I come back to the decision, I ask what I FEEL about it. If that doesn't help me connect, I state a possible decision out loud and see if it lands as a queasy feeling, or a good one. If it makes me feel queasy, I then state the other possible decision and see how that makes me feel. Often times, it's good to also remind oneself that there isn't always a "good" "bad" "right" or "wrong" decision. You can only use the information you have, and do your best with it.

Decision is mainly two types in my perspective, 1. Instant decision- Which may work for the time being but not for long run, Sometimes it can backslap you. 2. Thorough decision- Which can not be instant but this one can help to get the impact sustain for a longer time. It's up to who is the better decision maker, from my side I will say who have a good out of the book ability, ready wit- These kind of people can take instant decision and most of them can sustain or the impact is higher.

First step is a clear problem statement. Using a good 5 why format to deep dive the root causes of outstanding issues allows you to generate a good problem statement. This is an essential starting point of any good solution, regardless of how connected entities may or may not be.

Gathering information is a complex process. Yes, you can use surveys, interviews and brainstorming. However, you not only need to be aware of the reliability and validity of the information, but also of its context: the who, what, when, where, how and why basis of the information. Avoiding bias cannot be last on the list and the context will assist in identifying issues that involve biases.

I agree that information is essential, but a precursor is to have perspectives… all of them. Before gathering and analyzing data, being together relevant stakeholders. Include them in the process. Get their buy in toward finding a solution. Then and only then can you define data needs and patterns of analyses.

Here I'm reminded of the book 'The Wisdom Of Crowds' by James Suriowecki. Listening with integrity means we're actively not biasing anything of what we hear, or what people tell us. We're just listening. Tempting to start assessing options at the problem stage, but it's still too early and you'll need buy in from important stakeholders.

I absolutely love the book Ideaflow because it taught me to keep generating ideas and alternatives beyond just one that "sounds good." If I let myself continue to brainstorm as many ideas as possible for just a few more minutes there might be an incredible solution and not just a good one.

Provided you’ve engaged appropriate stakeholders earlier in the process, you can now divide and conquer in your analysis of the data, coming together to vet these understandings and viewpoints through a broad filter of shared viewpoints.

There are two elements to this process. 1. Intellectually have we measured the options against each other. 2. Emotionally, will the team who inherits this decision actually try and progress it to a positive conclusion. Too often we focus on the intellectual side and not the emotional side. Mechanisms to lift future ownership including making evaluations anonymous and democratic. Note the leader must still choose, but better to understand what people are thinking is the best option. Be transparent with the why.

to make a informed decision i would rather follow the following framework. First, list all the important factors for your decision. Create a table with five columns. Write the factors in the first column and assign a weight to each. Then, in the second column, rate the factors on a scale of 1 to 10. A 1 means no improvement, while 10 means a big positive impact if you decide. In another column, rate the factors again on the same 1 to 10 scale, but this time if you don't decide. Now, calculate the average scores for each factor in the last two columns. This will give you a number for the decision, making it easier to choose. for reference i am attaching this snap.

When everything is connected, i.e., complex, there's simply no way of knowing in advance if we've picked the right option, and more analysis seldom pays off. Use the different tools at your disposal to narrow down the viable options, but place more emphasis on ensuring that the barriers between choosing, implementing, and evaluating choices are as diffuse as possible. Treat your options as hypotheses, run a couple of experiments, and learn what works in your context. Repeat this process until you either achieve satisfactory results or gain no further traction or insights.

Again, the best option is a combination of understanding the complete situation that we're in and having viable options to move forward with coupled with 'what will the team actually support?'. No plan survives the start line basically says that the world is dynamic and any plan will start to deteriorate from the moment of execution. Why will people try and make this work?

This is too late to begin consulting others in an interconnected world. If they’re not brought in earlier in the process, they will never support even appealingly obvious conclusions. That said, you need to make decisions with 60-70% of the information, aligned with your ethos and tenets, and then socialize those decisions to drive action.

Agreed. Make a plan, check the plan, socialize the plan, and RUN. Then validate results, adjust and repeat. Iteration and flexibility to fast changing environments are critical to success.

Ownership, Ownership, Ownership. If people see themselves in the decision, they will see themselves in the implementation. Don't sacrifice good execution with making a fast decision (to acquiesce pressure to move). You'll hit a worse velocity as the team throw their hands up and say.. 'well you didn't really listen to me!'.. Actually get everyone into the boat if you want to make progress.

Get a 3rd party to assess. Start with the statement 'In the spirit of continuous improvement...' Write stuff down and date stamp it. Capture in raw.

Navigating decisions in an interconnected landscape requires a holistic approach. - Begin by identifying the core objectives of each decision - Consider how one choice impacts various - Prioritize by assessing the magnitude of business impact on crucial elements, such as stakeholders, resources, and long-term goals. - Leverage data and insights to gain a comprehensive view. - Collaborate and seek input from experts across relevant fields internally and externally. - Embrace adaptability, knowing that interconnected systems might require course adjustments multiple times ( 3-4 times usually). - Ultimately, prioritize decisions that align with the overarching vision and offer balanced benefits across the interconnected spectrum.