Effective Decision Makers Make Effective Employees

Each day your employees are faced with a myriad of choices each calling for a decision which ultimately creates a performance outcome. How effective are your employees in their decision making process? What efforts have you made to equip them to make effective decisions?

Understanding the decision making process is the key and unfortunately it is a skill that few have studied. In our fast paced, multitasking society, we are constantly bombarded with information and stimulus which requires us to respond. Yet in order to make effective decisions we must do more than simply react to data or situations we experience. In order to make decisions that will provide the outcomes we desire, we need to be attentive, intelligent, reasonable, responsible and remain clear of our mission and goals. 

• The first step is to be attentive to our experience.  Each day we process endless amounts of sensory input, emotional experiences and intuitive senses.  The task is to be aware of the information we are receiving and to learn how to filter through it and determine what has value to us and what we need to ignore.
• Next we need to be intelligent.  When we are being intelligent, we are asking questions, wondering about possibilities, properly naming our experience, and opening ourselves to new insights and ideas.
• Before making our final decision the critical step of being reasonable sets in. During this phase of processing we begin to draw conclusions, seek the truth of the situation, and look at the long vs. short term ramifications of our choices. Being intelligent lies mostly in right brain functions, when we come to the point of being reasonable our left brain kicks in. The process of making good decisions is a whole brain function and while certain people have a natural tendency to lead with one or the other, it is clear that employees need to develop both.
• Next we have to be responsible and make a decision.  We must decide to act, not act or delay the decision until a later time (perhaps we need more information or time to develop more options or to study the long term impact of what we’re about to do). It is interesting to note, that it is also important that we actually have the authority to make the decision at hand (groups often get stuck in this area of decision-making because the group trying to make the decision does not actually have the authority or resources to carry it out).
• Finally, it is important to recognize that our mission, values, goals, etc. influence all levels of our decision making process.  They are the motivation behind our actions and are what keep our decisions on track and serving our best interests.  When we are clear of our mission, values and goals, all the decisions we make will lead us closer to achieving them. 

Each of these steps is an important part of the decision making process. Helping our employees know where their strengths in the process lie can help them gain confidence in their decisions.  Helping them discover the steps they consistently omit can make them more effective in the future.  By providing them the tools to understand and practice effective decision making, you are increasing your chances that their decisions will render outcomes you want.

Effective decision makers are more effective employees.  Decisions that are well thought out support the overall mission and goals of the company on a regular basis which has a dramatic impact on your bottom line.

© Jan Cloninger, The More Productive Workplace.  Jan uses meditation training and more to help people enhance their performance! She can be reached at (314)965-0143 or jan@themoreproductiveworkplace.com.

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