It would be utopia if we could have everything we wished. However, that’s not the case. We must choose between several things we want. We need to make a choice. It’s the same with business. We make decisions. Bad decisions act as teachers so we can learn from our mistakes. Good decisions push us up a step and increase our reputation and status. How do we know what decisions are the good ones? There is no right answer because one decision can be good for one person, but terrible for someone else. We need to make the decisions that are best for us, and there are some skills to make that possible. Decision making is a task we will do our whole life, so learning these skills will be beneficial in the long run.
Decision making assesses us on our ability to think on our feet and carefully weigh the benefits and consequences of each. Decision-making skills are skills that help you make the best decision to benefit you and everyone around you. A few great decision-making skills include:
-Problem solving
-Leadership
-Reasoning
-Intuition
- Teamwork
- Emotional intelligence
- Creativity
- Time management
- Organization
Problem-solving skills help us resolve conflicts between people in the workspace without letting the situation get out of hand. When there is a problem, each party has their own idea or viewpoint, resulting in the argument. These skills allow you to consider both sides, focus on the details, and make a decision benefitting both parties.
Leadership skills can bring the team together as a whole. These skills allow you to form a bond with your employees or co-workers, giving them comfort and freedom. This way, you will be seen as a friend rather than a superior, and people are more likely to approach you to discuss things. When there is more communication between the team, everyone’s thoughts are heard. This allows you to make decisions that will be productive for both you and the team.
Reasoning skills allow you to consider both advantages and disadvantages of a decision. They also allow you to explain your viewpoint based on evidence, so no further arguments are created. Based on evidence and with some reasoning, you will be able to take the best decision for everyone.
Intuition is when you follow your gut feelings. The feeling that you just know what you must do comes from experience and lessons previously learned. All your experiences and lessons play a role in your decision-making. You can consider your paths of action and choose the one that seems just right, just like Goldilocks preferred :).
Teamwork allows you to listen to ideas that you may not have had. Even if you have thought about the course of action, someone else may bring up a consequence you didn’t notice. Working with a team allows you to brainstorm all the ideas, the consequences, and benefits of a course of action. This allows you to make the best possible decision for your team.
Emotional Intelligence is a valuable skill but is very hard to attain. It is when you are in control of your emotions and don’t let them affect your thinking and decision-making. Decisions made upon a certain emotion rarely turn out well. Decisions made from logic and careful thought are the best ones. Having emotional intelligence can help you keep a clear mind in times of need.
Creativity may seem optional in a business career, because business is based on logic. However, creativity is a must. A successful business is built upon creativity, it’s what made the idea so successful. When you have a problem, a creative solution solves it. Giving your team the chance to be creative also increases participation because creativity is sometimes not encouraged in the workplace (unless the career is in a creative field) so it’s something different. You will be surprised at all the unique ideas that arise when creativity is encouraged. Making creative decisions regarding competitors will more likely be successful because they’re unique and your competitors won’t expect them.
Time Management is a life skill but is also crucial for decision-making. Some decisions have deadlines, like where you want to commit to college. Having time management skills allows you to conduct all the research in a timely manner and giving you enough time to weigh the pros and cons before making a final decision. This way, you can stay organized and make your decision with sufficient information.
Organization is also a major part of decision-making. This helps you prioritize your problems and deadlines and this way; you are giving yourself enough time per deadline. You will start with the earliest deadline so you can get information on that issue first and make a decision before the deadline. This way, you are on top of things and won’t miss anything. Organization skills also allow you to delegate tasks to employees, work with them to solve problems, etc.
We all make decisions daily. They could be simple as to deciding what we want to eat for breakfast; or they can be major like choosing which investor to go with for our project. Decision-making skills allow us to make the best decision for us in the short run or long run, depending on our goals. Making good decisions not only benefits us in the workplace but also in life, so learning decision-making skills will only do us good.
Sources:
2011-2022, (c) C. skillsyouneed.com. (n.d.). Decision making. SkillsYouNeed. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/decision-making.html
5 decision-making skills for successful leaders. Insight Assessment. (2022, April 21). Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.insightassessment.com/blog/5-decision-making-skills-for-successful-leaders
Decision-making skills: Definition and examples | indeed.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2022, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/decision-making-skills
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