How to Make Great Decisions, Quickly

After years of trial and error, Martin G. Moore has distilled 10 + years of decision-making at the corporate level into eight elements that have allowed him to make consistent, great decisions in this Harvard Business Review?article.?They are:

Great decisions are shaped by consideration of many different viewpoints.

While consensus-seeking should never be the goal, this doesn’t mean we get the freedom to act unilaterally.

This can be tricky.?How do I choose whose opinion to seek out ? When do I bulldoze my own opinion into the mix and force a solution??How do I relax, understand the problem I am trying to solve, and come up with a smart, effective solution?

Great decisions are made as close as possible to the action.

Sometimes it is important to seek the advice and opinions of those doing the leg work, rather than those who are in powerful positions.?This can be tricky for me, especially if I am seeking approval and validation?from the powers-that-be.?Time for me to put my ego on the shelf and trust!

Great decisions address the root cause, not just the problem.

Sometimes people want to gripe, focusing on the symptoms again and again.?Reaching out to the people who understand where the issue came from in the first place and developing a plan to fix the root cause is more essential than repeatedly listening to the symptoms.

Great decisions are made by a clearly accountable person.

I must learn to stand behind what I say, even if I ultimately find I have made a mistake.?Yikes.?This has been a lifelong lesson for me.

Great decisions consider the holistic impacts of a problem and balance long-term and short-term value.

I get kudos and acknowledgment for being someone who makes things happen efficiently, But what if I am sacrificing efficiency for competence in the long run??Am I willing to sacrifice an ego boost to do what is right, whether I get praise or not??Am I really willing to take care of my people and organization??Am I willing to balance a short-term blast of nods against the long-term value of doing what is needed?

Great decisions are communicated well to stakeholders.

What if the powerful people I must report to aren’t too nice??Am I willing to stay with myself, to back myself up and say what is true, and then go home, after answering questions honestly??What if I am raked over the coals for my decision??The honest answer is that if I am listening to the processes and applying them, I will be able to be honest and have integrity, and leave the ass-kissing to someone else.?

Great decisions are timely.

Rather than being a leader who procrastinates on decisions because I fear making a mistake, passing the buck to blame someone else if what I am doing goes south, or freezing because I won’t be liked, I am working on – and teaching others to work on – charting the best course forward with the information I have received.?And pressing on as quickly as possible.

All in all, I want to trust my gut, but my gut may not be the best course of action for everyone.

Or is it????

This is a lifelong course.?I will admit this is something I haven’t done perfectly.?What about you?