Leadership and Business Wisdom - Elements of the Decision Process.

Byline: S. Kamal Hayder Kazmi

Ignore a single element in the process and the decision will tumble down like a badly built wall in an earthquake.

Good decision makers know that decision making has its own process and its own clearly defined elements and steps. Every decision is risky: it is a commitment of present resources to an uncertain and unknown future. But if the process is faithfully observed and if the necessary steps are taken, the risk will be minimized and the decision will have a good chance of turning out successful. Good decision makers

* Know when a decision is necessary

* Know that the most important part of decision making is to make sure that the decision is about the right problem

* Know how to define the problem

* Don't even think about what is acceptable until they have thought through what the right decision is

* Know that, in all likelihood, they will have to make compromises in the end

* Know that they haven't made a decision until they build its implementation and effectiveness into it

ACTION POINT: Take a predicament you are facing right now. What is the problem? Do not take any steps toward making a decision until you are sure that you have diagnosed the problem completely and correctly.

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