Making Outstanding Decisions

The decisions pave the roads of our life. Of course there are different paths, depending on the choices we take, from the simplest to the most complex ones. Due to the fact we can choose our profession, marital status, where to live, etc., everything reflects on our habits and what we are, eat, dress, work, etc. We might be the mirror of the results of our choices.

Certainly the type of academic track, moral, religious, and psychological education, we had in our childhood, bring a significant correlation with the outcome of that will change in the future, and how will be our lifestyle.

We make decisions all the time, since the simplest choice of clothes to wear, to what we eat for lunch, etc.

Based on several circumstances, such as our preferences, academic education, psychological state, behavior, attitudes, emotions, cultural values, religious, moral and beliefs, besides the smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch, we choose things for our life. We develop good and bad habits because of our choices, voluntary or not. If they are correct or not, then the effects will be disclosed later, by each of them. And that's what differentiates a human being on the other, through their indicators that guide you.

After all, what does "decision" mean? The concept of the term decision is made by "de" (which comes from Latin and means stop, extract, stop) that prefaces the word "split" (from the Latin meaning

caedere

Split, cut). Thus, deciding means "stop cutting" or "let it go."

It is, therefore, essential that we have a robust and adequate framework of tools and skills to minimize the risk of making the wrong decisions. As develops a pattern or an efficient method of decision making. Indeed, the result tends to be as follows:

There will be increased security, credibility and trust in a moment of decision, and the same will occur more quickly and safely.

The more complex, significant, lasting, impact on the life of other people, money, and emotional values are involved, the greater the positive or negative will be the result. The stock exchanges institutions can confirm that. Similarly, in the corporate world, it is imperative that decisions are on time, correct and little risk.

One of the parameters that most distinguishes the professional success is precisely this ability or competence to make complex decisions, fast, accurate and fruitful.

The types of decisions that are made every day are as follows:

1. Personal decisions - are individual and non-transferable decisions, such as changing eating habits.
2. Interpersonal decisions - those are decisions that can also impact the lives of others, such as the choice of school for their children.
3. Community decisions - decisions that can be taken by individuals or groups, but those impact organizations. Just to illustrate, we can mention the increase in the share of a product on the market, or transfer the company's operation to another city.

Decisions are focused on the process rather than the result. And unlike other, i.e., "the end justifies the means."

The great secret of a successful decision-making lies in its process and individual characteristics of who is in charge of the decision process (sense of judgment, responsibility, judgment, prudence and ability to analyze the whole scenario).

Basing on facts and reliable data, it is also an indispensable component. A well-designed process by itself does not guarantee a successful decision making. 

Surely there is some methods and process framework aimed at making better decisions. Let's start with the first one that is the concept of "PDCA" (English: Plan-Do-Check-Act). It is an iterative method four-step management, used for the control and continuous improvement of processes and products. Mr. W. Edwards Deming is the mentor of this concept, widely taken in project management best practices.

Besides the PDCA, another concept broadly used in a planning process for decision making is the "SWOT" Analysis, that is an English acronym for "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats".

The next one, Kaizen is an outstanding decision-making concept as well. It means, in Japanese, "improvement" or "change for the better", and refers to practices aimed at continuous improvement of processes. Originally, this concept of total quality was specially designed for shop floor control operations (lean manufacturing), supply-chain and engineering. But now, other business management areas are adopting it as well, including healthcare, government, banks and other industries. By improving standardized activities and processes, Kaizen concept is designed to eliminate wasting.

Besides the discussed principles above, there are other concepts to emphasize, such as the

Ishigawa

 Diagram (also known as Cause and Effect Diagram, which is a chart that aims to organize and lead the reasoning and discussions of a given problem). Finally the Pareto Principle (known as 80% - 20% rule), which is useful in some situations. And last but not least, one of the most used in the corporate world is Brainstorming. It is a group dynamic, used as a technique for solving particular problems and create new ideas, to gather information and to stimulate creative thinking.

It is worth mentioning that there is a fantastic set of tools and software to adopt, such as Mind Manager, Clear Mind, among others. Indeed, these artifacts make much difference. Well, to whom it may concern, there is a vast amount of such material on the Internet about the topics covered.

But the point to highlight is the importance of developing the ability to make decisions quickly, right, with lower risk, and plot alternate routes contingency. Having this well evolved competence, the person who dominates will be a few steps ahead of others.