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How can I improve my decision making? Why do people make wrong decisions?
Home » Executive Coaching » Decision Making » How can I improve my decision making? Why do people make wrong decisions?How can I improve my decision making? Why do people make wrong decisions?
To some degree, decision making is a learned skill; hopefully, you get better with experience. That said, it can be helpful to identify some of the most common kinds of poor decisions.
- Spur of the moment decisions: These are decisions based strictly on emotion without information. While it can be valuable to involve emotions to some degree, spur of the moment decisions are made without fully understanding the problem. People who make these decisions neglect to see possible alternatives and will imagine urgency when actually does not exist.
- Self-centered decision: These are generally top-down decisions that may benefit you, but at the expense of those around you. The Ohio State study found that decisions made by simply issuing an edict were successful only thirty-eight percent of the time. Look out for the interests of others rather than simply yourself.
- No decision at all: Charles Caleb Colton said, “Deliberate with caution, but act with decision.” Good procrastinators can find a way to delay a decision forever, but that comes at great cost to yourself and to your company.
Which of these best describes your decision making weakness? If one of them resonates with you, don’t run away from it, but rather, learn to discipline yourself to avoid these common mistakes. Ask those around you to hold you accountable. If you make quick decisions, hold yourself to a no-decision time period during which you analyze major decisions before making them. If you make self-centered decisions, make a point of asking those around you for help and ask yourself how you would feel if you were on the other side. If you have trouble making decisions, reward yourself for any made decisions—right or wrong. Eventually the benefits of making better decisions will be their own reward.
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- How can I improve my decision making? Why do people make wrong decisions?