How can you use reflection to improve your decision-making under pressure?

Tips for making decisions under pressure: Determine the desired outcome Prioritize key factors Prepare for potential consequences Weigh decisions against probability and desirability Understand the problem Utilize decision matrices Weigh the need for more data with the timing

Yeah! Being very calm at alarming situations always proved helping. First , I take a pause , hold on over the situation and identify what the challenge is in actual? What does it mean to me? Am I really willing to conquer the challenge or I am just hampering in the race of millions ? If my reply is Yes , then , What does it expect from me and how can I give my 100% to it. I gather my everything at one place and create a shooter missile to win the thing even if I loose I learn.

In a software project, facing a critical bug near the deadline prompted me to recognize the urgency. Reflecting, I realized my initial reaction was reactive. To improve decision-making, I instituted a structured reflection process. Identifying stress triggers and their impact, we found that time constraints led to inadequate testing, causing the bug. Acknowledging the situation fostered a culture of continuous improvement. Regular reflections post-crisis became a norm, enabling us to adapt decision-making strategies for more thoughtful responses in high-pressure scenarios.

Having spent 16 years in policing, prior to coaching leaders, pressurised situations are the norm. They aren't necessarily easy though, and require the ability to take a breath and not panic. Identifying exactly what the problem is without jumping in to "fix" immediately will mean that you will understand the extent of the issue facing you, with peripheral vision, a wide view, rather than the stressed view of fovial (narrow) vision. It will give you that first moments to really take it in and not make assumptions.

Every problem resolution starts with identifying the situation. You will have to identify where you are currently (the situation), the challenges that are posed, the factors that act as a constraint hindering your progress or success etc. It may be simple to read through, but it is not as simple as it appears to be, many, often quit at this first step itself. A good example for this might be: Consider that you are a batsman (cricket), and you can't play well against Malinga (the Srilankan bowler). You first have to find why can't play well against him, is it because of his great Yorkers or his sheer pace or what else? Only if you analyse this, you will be able to move on to finding a solution to the problem or the next immediate step.

This is the point of power. As humans we have the ability to assess the consequences of our actions based on our experiences or this of others. This moment is when we have the power to choose. When we say “Yes” to one thing we say “No” to something else. Taking time to assess what we are saying No to, gives the decision making process power. Consider your options, embracing the power you have in the moment.

One thing we have at this point is a certain amount of information on which to make decisions. We must remember that later we will have more, but now we have only what we have. This is important because as we assess we can easily be paralysed by trying to find the "perfect" answer. But there is no perfect answer because information is limited. So we have to be brave to understand that it's ok to assess without needing the perfect one. Next, try to avoid allowing your brain to unreasonably qualify options. E.g. "oh I can't do that because....." when the because is a limiting belief rather than a real block. Let yourself come up with those options that might seem crazy but list them too. Only then, evaluate with an unemotional mind.

The Second step is being able to assess your alternatives. It involves the following: 1) Finish up with the first task of finding the situation. 2) After finding the situation, think about the probable solution and it's alternatives which can be adopted to solve the particular issue. 3) Then, work on each alternative to its very end and find out if it will work out, by applying it on some similar situations. 4) Filter out the alternatives that do not work out and indulge in brainstorming on the remaining alternatives to find out the best one or few alternatives. 5) Retry filtering out the best one, or try consulting peers or others on which alternative to adopt. 6) Thus you will arrive at an perfect alternative.

A perspective one may consider is the one-dimensional specialty or subject discipline. With this method, one can draw from the well in many directions. Overlapping occupations, in this instance, can be highly profitable. Again, options from a multitude of points of view provide the choices necessary when considering a line of reasoning. A benefit to the one-dimensional discipline is the ability to gain perspectives from many fields, view the overlapping areas, and then think about which of those areas are the best and move forward with those lines of reasoning.

Review Past Decisions: Reflect on previous decisions made under pressure. Analyze what worked well and what didn't, understanding the outcomes and the factors influencing those decisions.

When choosing your option, bring yourself back to the Why. Why are we doing this? What are we trying to achieve? Does it fit? If you do this, then you will be aligned with your choice and far more able to then communicate and inspire others to get on board with your ideas, because they can align to that same why.

After finding out a bunch of alternatives to apply and get a positive outcome, 1) Work on each alternative till its very end and find out if it will work out, by applying it on some similar situations or through some mental calculations. 2) Filter out the alternatives that do not work out and indulge in brainstorming on the remaining alternatives to find out the best one or few alternatives 3) Retry filtering out the best alternative, or try consulting peers or other people on which alternative to adopt 4) Thus you will arrive at an perfect alternative.

Don't be emotional when choosing an option. Understand the 4W1H model; What, Where, Where, Why and How. When under pressure, a lot runs through your mind but you need remember that the result of careful reflection could produce a solution that will advance a cause.

One thing I have found helpful is prioritizing the workload correctly. This is definitely a key topic on getting the work done in a timely manner.

Identify Patterns: Look for recurring patterns or commonalities in your decision-making process. Are there biases, assumptions, or blind spots that affect your choices? Learn from Mistakes: Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities. Understand the reasons behind any poor decisions made under pressure and how to avoid similar pitfalls in the future.

Implementing decisions transforms reflection into a compass for robust decision-making under pressure. In a software project, post a critical bug near the deadline, I instituted a structured reflection process. Our team identified stress triggers and realized time pressure led to inadequate testing, causing the bug. We decided to prioritize thorough testing even under tight deadlines. Implementing this decision was transformative. Learning from mistakes fueled a collective commitment to change. We met subsequent deadlines, witnessing a positive shift in team confidence. Decisions born from reflection became our compass, steering us resiliently in the crucible of pressure.

Your ability to execute calmly is paramount to a successful outcome in a stressful situation. Clear direction for others because you are organised, strategic and calm, means that the team will be able to follow your lead and deal with the situation.

When under pressure, your ability to deliver results in a stable state gives you an improved ability to manage such pressure. Remember, clarity bursts the balloon of pressure and strategic action brings it to safety. Once in a while, pressure from work and other areas of engagement will come but HOW you handle them will make the difference.

To implement reflection, we can use different tools and methods: 1. Journaling= writing down your thoughts, feelings, actions, and outcomes in relation to a specific situation or problem can help you organize and analyze your experience and identify areas for improvement. 2. Asking yourself or others open ended and probing questions, “What?”, “Why?”, “How?”, and “What if?”, can help you explore and deepen your understanding of the situation, problem, and decision. 3. Using various tools and techniques, such as mind maps, SWOT analysis, decision matrices, or pros and cons lists, can help you visualize, compare, and evaluate your options and outcomes. 4. Seeking and receiving feedback from others, such as peers, mentors, or experts.

One example I use is when I run into a situation where a problem arises when I am painting a vehicle is how I adapt by using YouTube to look up a solution, or I use AI to solve the problem. Then I just implement what is talked or written about in the solution.

Looking back, after the fact, in a reflective way will mean that instead of beating yourself up about the situation, you will be able to step back and assess the outcomes against your plans and assumptions. But, remember, they were assumptions at the time, based on the info at the time. Now, after the fact, you have more information, know more on those unknowns. Which means, if it didn't go to plan, don't compare what you might choose to do now. Because hindsight is incredible. You now know more, so you will, of course be likely to make a slightly different decision. It doesn't mean your original one was wrong.

It is always helpful to take a step back to reassess, reconsider and even look at the issue from a different perspective. Sometimes it helps to remove yourself from the issues and assess it like a second or 3rd party.Sometimes you may identify your own mishaps or shortsightedness in the process.

For Example - Imagine a project manager facing a tight deadline. Instead of dwelling on perceived mistakes, they reflect on the project's outcomes as valuable assessments. The decision-making process, driven by the information available at the time, becomes a learning opportunity. Regular team reviews and a bi-weekly cycle for refining project stages ensure continuous improvement. Honest feedback from team members provides diverse perspectives, contributing to more informed decisions. Celebrating small achievements during reflection motivates the team, turning setbacks into growth opportunities for future projects.

Practice Mindfulness: Cultivate self-awareness through mindfulness techniques. Being present and aware of your thoughts and emotions during high-pressure situations can help you make more deliberate decisions. Seek Feedback: Solicit feedback from peers or mentors. Their perspectives can offer insights into areas for improvement or alternative approaches.

Identify your stress triggers and coping mechanisms to keep calm before making any decisions. Try creating a decision journal where you record & analyze the decisions made in high-pressure situations. Note the context, your thought process, the decision taken, and its outcome. Over time, this journal can reveal patterns in your decision-making and highlight areas for improvement. Incorporate after-action reviews - structured reflection sessions post significant decisions, to dissect what happened, why, and how to do better next time. Practice stress inoculation - gradually exposing yourself to pressure in controlled environments to build your decision-making resilience. Remember, we are human - we make mistakes - don’t be hard on yourself.

In high-pressure situations, as a project manager, leveraging reflection is vital. After a critical software bug jeopardized a deadline, I reflected on the rushed coding without thorough testing. To enhance decision-making, I implemented a post-mortem process. Regular team analyses led to adopting of test-driven development practices. Reflecting on past decisions not only enhanced individual learning but also strengthened the team's ability to make informed choices under pressure.

As cliché as it may sound, learning from mistakes is indeed one of the best ways to learn. However, a better still mode of learning is reflecting on those mistakes. Reflection allows us to gain a new perspective on past events by working through them in a methodical and less time pressured environment. This can be by simply thinking about what happened, or writing a reflective log. The important thing is the act itself - don’t be put off by feeling the need to write minutiae of events; the most vital component of reflection is the act of reflection itself. Thus, when presented with a high pressured situation in future where you are required to think on the spot, you will then be able to employ what you have learned from reflection.

Remember; - Never go against company policy (or any area of engagement) - Think about past events and understand your resolution method - Focus on the AIM of the task. - Don't focus on failing, focus on delivering. - Breathe, you'll be fine