Making good decisions, based on disciplined thinking and informed judgement, requires an individual to: •Gather all available, relevant facts and generate a list of options •Effectively consult with others and use a range of techniques to evaluate available options •Consider the consequences of the decision on others and the organization Effective decision making has many benefits, including improved communication and consultation among individuals and a reduction in the negative impact of decisions across your organization. Contact us today to find out more:enquiries@tmaworld.com

1. A GUIDE TO
Effective Decision
Making
Create success through
effective decision making

2. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
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3. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
When it comes to decision making, it’s a
simple truth that not enough managers
commit a sufficient amount of time or
attention to how they approach this
crucial process.

4. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
Ineffective decision making can lead to numerous problems and
take up valuable time and resources to correct.
At the very least, poor decisions hamper performance and
achievement of the goals set.
At worst, it can lead to the loss of livelihoods —
or even lives, depending on the type of business
you’re involved in.

5. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
So what is the root cause of this?
Not surprisingly – there can be many reasons.
For some, it’s a question of procrastination.
This tends to be amplified when the decision to be made is a critical
one with significant consequences if things don’t go according to
plan.

6. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
So what is the root cause of this?
For others, it can be a question of going with your gut instinct as
that’s the way you’ve always approached it.

7. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
Another reason can be because a
manager has weak prioritization skills
– not investing the time and effort
required to gain all the necessary
information that will facilitate a good
decision making strategy.
Leadership style may also play a
factor in the quality of a decision
made.

8. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
Do you delegate instead of direct?
Do you direct when you should be taking a more
consultative approach and involving the relevant
parties in the decision making process?
Throw into the mix the need to
consider the issue of ethics when
making decisions and you can see
how many managers can stumble
into any one of the numerous
potholes peppered in the road that
leads to successful decision making.

9. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
This begs the question:
What does it take to make good, sound decisions?
First of all, when approaching
the decision making process,
it’s not one size fits all.
A major challenge for
even the most experienced of
managers is acting out of habit
and going with what they are
familiar with.

10. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
Effective managers know this and understand that different
decisions require different approaches.
Decisions come in all shapes and sizes, some are simple – others
more complex. Some decisions are required to be made in real time,
others are more strategic, longer-term plans.

11. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
The particular circumstances surrounding a decision should guide the
approach taken as much as is feasibly possible.
Those different decision making approaches include:
Authoritarian:
Hierarchical, top down
Consensus:
Collaborate as a team to reach an agreement
Contingent:
Triggers based upon facts
Democratic:
Voting or polling methods, allowing the majority vote
to decide
Elected:
Nominate a person or group to decide

12. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
Understanding and choosing the right approach will
increase the likelihood of the right decision being made.
Once this has been done, a manager needs to consider a process to
put in place.
A suggested process for effective decision making involves:
Identifying the necessary roles
Clearly defining the problem
Gathering information systematically
Evaluating information
Identifying alternative solutions
Selecting the best solution
Validating the solution

13. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
An ethical decision making tool:
IRIS
The IRIS tool is a robust means of asking
a manager to analyze and consider all
angles of an issue rather than solely
considering what is right or wrong.

14. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
When applying IRIS, a manager is
required to scrutinize the issue at hand,
asking:
What could I do?
What should I do?
What must I do?
When they have come to
their decision a further
question needs to be
answered:
Does the decision I have made still stand the test of
scrutiny?

15. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
The following provides the considerations at I
each phase: R
I
S
Identify:
The participants: Who are the key stakeholders?
The potential effects: How is the key stakeholder potentially affected?
The perspectives: What are the competing perceptions of the situation?
Pinpoint the issues: What are the specific issues and concerns?

16. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
The following provides the considerations at I
each phase: R
I
S
Reflect on:
The options: What are the options and the associated risks?
The objections: How will stakeholders respond? What objections may arise?
The outcomes: What are the potential intended and unintended
consequences of the options in terms of the duration and severity of their
impact?
Then optimize: What decision produces the optimal result?

17. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
The following provides the considerations at I
each phase: R
I
S
Integrity of the decision so that it is:
Compliant: Is the decision fully compliant?
Consistent: Is the decision consistent with the core values of the
organization?
Candid: Is the decision open and transparent?
Clear: Is the decision ethically comprehensible to stakeholders?

18. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
The following provides the considerations at I
each phase: R
I
S
Scrutiny of the decision:
Discern: What ‘message’ does the decision convey?
Distort: Can it be a misunderstood or misrepresented decision?
Durability: Will the decision withstand scrutiny today and in the future?
Diminish: Could the decision diminish or damage the reputation of the
organization?

19. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
Quick decision making
Some of the success factors behind quick decision making:
• Don’t rush unnecessarily:
 Assess if it’s both important and urgent
• Have all necessary information:
 If the information can be obtained quickly, then get it
 If it cannot be obtained
• What worked before?
• Who has more experience?
• Review your decision afterwards:
 How can such a situation be prevented?
 Can you make a checklist?
 What went well, what did not?

20. A Guide to Effective Decision Making
To learn more about how we can help your organization,
please contact us at
enquiries@tmaworld.com
or visit
http://www.tmaworld.com/training-solutions/