You're a project manager who needs to make a difficult decision. How do you know you're making the right one?

The first thought of most is to engage the team and collaborate on solutions to make a decision but that is a small part of the big picture a leader needs to do for the team. In addition to engaged solutions you need to set milestones and objective expectations to gauge if the decision is meeting the expected outcome. Lastly you need to be in the position to make adjustments if needed and recognize the accomplishments of the team to motivate their drive to objective.

In my opinion, to make a right decision as project manager, first step will be to think about WHO will be benefitting from your problem solving. WHY & HOW the problem occurred.

"Begin with the end in mind". Correctly identifying the problem is half way to a project success. The project itself is an attempt to bring a solution to a problem our customer is facing. Talk to the customers, look into the use cases, identify, analyse, understand the underlying reason that causes the problem. Once you have clearly identified this, making decisions becomes easy and more effective. Make a project that will fix the reason that causes the problem.

When facing a difficult decision, ensuring the right choice involves methodically analyzing the problem, gathering relevant information, and evaluating potential alternatives against predetermined criteria. Seeking input from stakeholders and team members, communicating the decision transparently, and monitoring its implementation are crucial steps in the process. By following this structured approach, you can navigate complex decisions with confidence and maximize the success of the projects.

As a project manager facing a tough decision, ensuring it's the right one involves a systematic approach: Identify the problem: Clearly define the issue at hand and its implications for the project. Gather relevant information: Collect data, input from stakeholders, and insights to fully understand the situation. Generate and compare alternatives: Brainstorm potential solutions, weigh their pros and cons, and assess their feasibility. Choose and implement the best solution: Select the option that aligns with project goals and stakeholder interests, then execute the decision effectively. Evaluate and learn from the results: Monitor the outcomes, analyze their impact, and incorporate lessons learned into future decision-making processes.

Once you have identified the problem and done with WHO,WHY & HOW step, you will understand where you can get relevant information/data to analyze the situation.

Lo traduzco en PRO VS CONTRA. Aplicando una Matriz se puede valorar con base en hechos, no con base en ideas o suposiciones. Si se logran medir los hechos y se establece la comparativa. Se logra dar con la decisión ideal. No obstante, hay cierto riesgo, debe existir siempre una medida de garantía o resolutiva con el menor impacto, se deben revisar los antecedentes y casos de éxito como referencias y se toma una decisión con criterio de riesgo calculado. Tomando previsiones, hay un alto % de éxito o de corregir fallas tomando decisiones críticas pero eficaces. No Obstante, esta toma de decisiones no es previsiva, es reactiva. Se?al inequívoca de fallas de planificación.

Now, it's time to collect the facts and opinions that will help you navigate. Think of it as packing your backpack with essentials. Look for reliable information, but also be mindful of where it's coming from to ensure it's helpful and unbiased. Just like preparing for a hike, you'd gather gear based on the terrain, not just because someone recommended it.

When gathering data, you have to: - Use credible data sources, systems and data mining techniques to extract your data. - Cross-reference data for accuracy, validity and effectiveness. - Interpret the data using bias-free methodologies. Don't look for what YOU WANT TO SEE, look for WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. - Check for gaps in search and errors in computation before proceeding to the next phase.

Knowing the problem is not just enough, you need to gather as much information as you con on the problems By doing so you no the implications that the problem will bring if it is left and it also helps you to plan for the next step in the decision making process.

Imagine you're at a crossroads, and each path is a different way to solve your problem. List all possible paths, even those that might seem a bit out there at first. This is your chance to be creative and think about what could work best. It's like considering various trails on a map, each leading to the same peak but offering different views and challenges.

This process is usually possible if you have gathered enough information on the problem. As such you can not go straight to generating and comparing alternatives on how to solve the problem without gathering the information. After generating alternatives and you clearly list them down and you indicate on how to implement them, compare and see which one has a high success rate among them.

Once you have analyzed the information/data gathered from different resources, you can use SWOT and come up with option to implement and execute your solution/decision.

After looking at all the paths, pick the one that gets you to your destination most effectively. Communicate your choice clearly to everyone involved, like telling your travel companions which route you're taking and why it's the best one. Ensure everyone understands the plan, just as a group of climbers would need to know the chosen path and prepare accordingly.

Is it possible to know, without implementing each solution separately, which one is the best? Instead of using the term best solution, we can use implementing the solution with the highest probability of being the most efficient.

This step to me is tge most crucial because you can not afford to choose a wrong solution to implement. Critical analysis is need for you choose a solution within a pool of solutions that you have come up with, but also time management is needed to make sure that you choose the solution in the shortest time possible.

Once you've followed the path, take some time to reflect on the journey. Did you get to where you wanted to go? What went well, and what could have been better? This is how you learn and get better at making decisions. It's akin to reaching the summit and looking back at the path taken, understanding what helped you succeed and what lessons the journey taught you.

Once executed, you will have to monitor the outcome. You will have to check if you have achieved your goal? If not, you can evaluate and improvise.

As a project manager facing a tough decision, here are some steps you can take to ensure you are making the right choice: Define the Problem Clearly, Analyze the Situation, Set Clear Criteria, Explore Alternatives, Weighted Decision Matrix, Consider Ethical and Legal Aspects, Seek Input and Feedback, Trust Your Gut (Intuition), Sleep on It, Make the Decision. Based on the analysis, choose the option that best meets the criteria and aligns with project goals. Be decisive and commit to your choice. Remember, no decision is perfect, but a well-informed and thoughtful approach increases the likelihood of making the right one. Trust your judgment and be prepared to adapt if needed.

Building on the previous comment, it's important not to let analysis paralysis prevent you from making a decision by default. Perfectionism can be the enemy of successful project management. It's always good to strive for excellence, but sometimes the pursuit of perfection can lead to missed opportunities and stalled progress. Remember, making a decision is better than making no decision at all.

Don't judge success by the detours you encounter, but by your ability to learn from them and forge ahead. Progress, not perfection, is the measure of a successful project.

If you want to ensure you make good decisions at any level, get your team involved. It can be difficult to make good decisions without input from the people doing the actual work. Difficult decisions that may cause changes can often bring up strong opinions, emotions, and varying perspectives. Balancing input and making sure everyone is heard is key to gaining consensus. Please note, gaining consensus does not necessarily mean everyone agrees with the decision that is made, but it does mean that everyone gets heard and has an opportunity to share their perspective. Sometimes that is all some team members might need.

To make the right decision you should consider to: -Analyze the causes of you taking the decision & effect on the project. -Meet with & listen to the team regarding the cause & potential impact on the project. -Analyzed data relevant to project progress, success monitoring indicators related to the subject of your decision.

- Collaborative thinking: Involve your team members to brainstorm and to think out loud. This is a great way to get creative and look at an issue from different perspectives. - Base decisions on data, not assumptions: Using objective data helps in making more accurate and reliable decisions, leading to better outcomes and risk management. - Implement effective risk management: Prioritize and manage risks by analyzing data and developing contingency plans. - Optimize resource allocation: Ensure efficient use of resources through careful planning and analysis. Don't let too much information stop you from making decisions. Focus on what's most important and prepare for different outcomes.

As a seasoned project manager, I've found that fostering open communication channels within the team greatly aids in making difficult decisions. Sometimes, valuable insights come from unexpected places. Encouraging team members to voice their perspectives can lead to innovative solutions that might not have been considered otherwise. Additionally, regularly revisiting the decision-making process and soliciting feedback post-implementation has been instrumental in refining future strategies. It's all about harnessing the collective intelligence of the team to navigate challenges effectively.