Things used to be quite simple when it came to decision making. Take purchasing cars for example, how much money do I have? New or second hand? What make, usually a small selection of manufactures. Finally what model?
In the 1970s the top ten cars were Ford Cortina, Ford Escort, Morris Marina, Mini, Vauxhall Viva, Austin Allegro (All-agro as my wife calls them having had one as a first car!), Ford Capri, Austin 1100, Ford Granada and the Hillman/Chrysler Avenger and these were prominent as new/second hand cars in the 80s too.
Today’s cars offer so many more varieties within the main model (eg Ford ‘Fiesta’ have over 5 variants) and then within those you have various options on top of that such as sound systems, Sat-Nav, colours etc just compound the decision further. One of Ford’s tag line was “Go Further” but one used to be “A good dilemma to have…” but in either case, was it or is it just another way to confuse us further?
Our options used to be simpler when it came to purchases but this has now become so confusing and it does not stop there. Decision making then flows out to home, family, work .
A good way for decision making is to know what your starting boundaries are. For example, our TV is on the blink so we’re looking for a new one. Its position in relation to viewing distance means a 43” set would be ideal, however, surely a 55” would be better? NO! There’s science behind this and not being a scientist, I’m inclined to go with those who are in the know.
Next is to decide if it needs to connect to the Wi-Fi as a smart TV and any other details pertaining to what we want from it … and only then did the search begin with narrowing it down to a choice of 3 sets. Now that is an easier decision to make.
The ‘Decision Tree’ is another tool that helps and especially so in business. Where you find yourself following the options and going through the process.
This follows a YES/NO process. For every question you ask, you travel a Yes/No path which in turn leads to another question which might be as simple as “Does this resolve your situation”, if YES, then “what is the conclusion”, if NO then further avenues of exploration are required. Note though, some Yes or No questions may in turn join another question already answered but as a result of the new path you took, the answer may be different.
This format may lead you to ask and answer more questions than you originally started with but through exploration, these questions may well raise the subconscious thought processes which were unknowingly holding you back.
Although not conducive to creating a final decision, a tool that helps you lay down everything you have to work with is the Spider Diagram where you take the principal subject matter (ie Business Growth) and from this you draw a line each reaching out to the subgroups (ie Marketing, Client Base, Sales, Finances, Competition etc) then each of these subgroups push out to what makes it up (ie Marketing: Demographics, Social Media, Strategies, Pricing, Promotion, Feedback…)
Once it is out of our heads and down on paper/screen, they are no longer vying for position enabling us to see them more clearly. From this, we can make decisions easier as we have a bigger overall view (much like getting a TV where you can see all of the screen comfortably, but I will not harp on about that!) that in turn enables us to focus on specific areas rather than all at the same time.
Throughout all of this, the underlining element is questions. Before you can make a decision, questions need to be asked and at Coaching to Success, this is what we do best. Incisive questioning cuts through all the layers and gets to the root areas for decision making.
If this is something you wish for yourself or your team, make the first decisive decision and contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help.
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