With so many options available to us and a plethora of resources with recommendations and advice, decision making has gotten harder as the world evolves. At the same time, we are forced to make decisions faster and with less information in order to keep up with competitors and satisfy our customers and teams.
Consider if any of the following scenarios resonate with you...
Do you attend a work meeting with the goal of aligning the group on a particular decision only to find out that no one remembers what problem you are actually trying to solve?
Do you operate in a "hurry up and wait" culture where teams are asked to draft proposals or present ideas to leadership only to wait months before anything gets the "green light" to take action?
Have you or your team been stuck in the ruminating phase of decision making for so long, that once you actually make a decision and move forward the original request or problem is no longer valid?
In This podcast, Shane Parish gives some practical and easy to apply tips on making faster and more intentional decisions using mindfulness and self-awareness. Here are some of my personal favorite recommendations:
Practice mindfulness daily: Decision-making capabilities are hindered when our emotions are heightened, and we are not aware of how we are feeling. Practicing mindfulness gets us in the habit of recognizing our emotional states, acknowledging what feelings are present, and making a wise choice about how to respond.
Define the problem that you are trying to solve: Before asking the group to discuss their opinions on specific solutions, take 10 minutes to have the key decision maker define the problem statement. In design thinking this is referred to as the "how might we statement". Then spend one meeting purely brainstorming solutions and schedule a follow up meeting to converge on the original ideas in order to make a final decision.
Understand the risk of failure: In the podcast, Shane talks about "one-way doors" and "two-way doors". This concept has us ask ourselves, if I make a decision on this particular problem, can I change my mind or reverse my decision with little to no consequence? If you can easily "walk back through the original door you chose", make the decision quickly and be prepared to iterate over time!
I recently worked with a team of leaders that took an average of 4 months to make a decision on what new project to pursue or which new features to develop for their products. This left their teams feeling burnt out and frustrated. After implementing a creative approach to problem solving rooted in curiosity and empathy to problem solving and teaching them the Fist to Five Decision Making Methodology, they were able to make key decisions in under 1 month!
Do you feel intrigued by this story? If so, check out the partnership options to see what makes sense for you and your team.
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