Copy
10 simple but critical questions to ask before you make a decision.
Issue 219
View this email in your browser

Decision Questions

10 simple but critical questions to ask before you make a decision

Dear <<First Name>>,   
Reading Time: 2 mins 6 secs

When you need to make a decision, it's going to be the questions you ask that have the biggest impact on the outcome of your choice. So, as in much else, high-quality questions are the key to success.

But, luckily, the questions you need to ask are not complex... although the answers may be!

This is my last email before the Christmas and New Year period. So, see below for my Xmas book recommendations. These are books I have rarely recommended - yet they deserve a lot more attention than I've given them lately. Every one of them has had a big impact on me.

Here then are 10 simple but critical questions to ask before you make a decision.
 

What's our goal?

Stephen Covey said it best: 'Begin with the end in mind'. If you don't know what outcome you want to generate, you can't begin to evaluate your options.

What do we know?

Too often, decision-makers fail to survey the information they already have. Yet you may know a lot that pertains directly to the choice in front of you and how different options might play out. And don't forget to extend the 'we' widely. Find the people who know stuff.

What are our choices?

Your final decision can only be as good as the options you consider. There will often be another option, lurking around the corner that will unlock many of the compromises that the obvious alternatives create.

What matters?

What constraints are there? What criteria are important and which are less so? And, critically, hat values do you need to uphold? Approach this from the point of 1 year after. What regrets could you have if you make the wrong choice?

What can go wrong?

My favourite: catastrophe thinking. Always look for the possibility of multiple system failures and work back to how your decision could have been the source. Assess a number of scenarios before making your choice.

Who should we involve?

Who has a point of view that you need to hear, because of their involvement, expertise, experience... Perhaps this could go next to 'what matters?' and be worded 'who matters?'

Who should make the decision?

Not everyone who matters should (or can) be involved in making the decision. But, whoever does make or contribute to, the final decision needs to have both the organizational authority and the intellectual authority to be the decision-maker for this decision.

What process should we use?

There are many decision-making tools, techniques, and processes. Think through the nature of the decision and determine the best way to make it.

What biases do we have?

We all have a host of biases and prejudices that can compromise our decisions and so trap the unwary decision-maker. Study the theory of bias - the best book to start with is Daniel Kahneman's 'Thinking: Fast and Slow'. The way to overcome bias is to address it directly.

How will we sell our decision?

To start with, thinking through how people may oppose your decision may help with testing whether it is the right one. Have you properly considered what matters, what can go wrong, and who you should involve? Consensus is important to a decision that will impact a wide group in a deep way. So selling your choice will be a vital step.

Chrismas Book Recommendations
There is no 'first Tuesday' Livestream today for 'reasons'. I'm sorry.
But my Livestreams will resume in the New Year on 10 January.


In the meantime...

Here are five book recommendations for Christmas Gifts for the Manager in your life
- or for yourself.
Go on...
Treat yourself.
You're worth it!

These all transformed my thinking in their respective areas. Some were foundational when I started learning about the subject. Others enhanced and deepened my understanding. All are excellent and all are books I have not recommended in this weekly newsletter.

For people managing change, who want a new and more sophisticated perspective: Changing Minds by Howard Gardner

For a thorough introduction to the art of public speaking and presenting: Lend Me Your Ears by Max Atkinson

To learn about psychology the easy way, by understanding the truth behind common beliefs about human behaviour: 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology by Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, and Beyerstein

For a beautiful perspective on marketing and influence from a deep thinker and leading practitioner in the field: Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions by Guy Kawasaki

For an unusual and thought-provoking perspective on leadership through the medium of archetypes: The Wizard and the Warrior by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal
Favorite Videos
Here are my favorite 6 videos from the 20 I have released on my two channels since the last one of these tip-sheet Newsletters.

For all my content, visit my YouTube channels... To watch the videos below, click the thumbnail images.
ADKAR is a 5 step model for how individuals respond to change. It is a helpful way to understand the responses we will encounter and plan our change management programs accordingly.
You’ve gone to a lot of trouble preparing and delivering your presentation. And your audience has given up a chunk of time to listen to you. Surely, you want them to remember the important parts of what you tell them! 
Managers need to get the best from their teams. They need to win cooperation, resolve conflict, and communicate ideas. These lie in the Emotional Intelligence domain of Social Skills.
Why do people do (or not do) things? It's all a matter of motivation. If you can provide the right motivation, then people will do as you ask: if not, they won't... So, here are my top 20 ways to motivate people on your projects.
The term Stakeholder Management is out of date. I use Stakeholder Engagement. But, the process of stakeholder engagement needs to be managed. And that is Stakeholder Engagement Management.
Many people say that giving a presentation is the scariest thing they do at work. Happily, a few nerves can give you an edge. And there are plenty of techniques to help control your nerves and keep excessive fear under control.
Copyright © 2022 Mike Clayton, All rights reserved.


unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences 

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp