We all make bad decisions. Or do we? When you make a decision, you never imagine it is a bad decision because it seems like the right one at the time. In fact, all our decisions are the best ones we could make at that given point in time with the knowledge and conditions we had at that moment. Right? 

Right!

I heard something recently that I found to be not only sensible but really easy to apply. When deciding on a solution to a problem, ask yourself “is it good enough for now? Is it safe enough to try?”
Good enough for now implies that it can be changed later if needed. Safe enough to try means that it will not put me or the things I care about in danger. When a decision needs a bit of thought behind it, like decisions about career, relationships or life decisions that can shape our future, these two questions can definitely be added to the mix. 

OK, that may not be enough, there are a few steps you could do in advance of those final two “sense checking” questions. 

If you Google “decision-making” you’ll find a multitude of help: the 7 steps…., the 5 stages….. several useful models and as many checklists.  

This is not an innate ability and, unlike other skills, experience does not necessarily help us to do better next time.  

So, here are my 5 tips to help you through the process:

Never lose sight of the goal: What is the purpose of this decision? What is the problem that needs to be solved? Why does it need to be solved?

Get a good understanding of the problem: gather as much information, opinion and experience as you need in order to really frame the problem. This will help you to generate ideas for a possible solution.

Imagine how it plays out: it is important to project how a decision will impact yourself and others involved. Imagine how it will solve the problem, for sure, but take a step back and look at how it impacts on the whole system around that problem. Take time to go through all the pros and cons of the decision.

Make Your Decision: now is the time to ask those sense-making questions: is it good enough for now? Is it safe enough to try? Although you may still be slightly unsure about your final decision, check how it makes you feel when you ask those two questions. If you feel good about it, then go with it.

‍Iterate: You have made your final decision and put it into action but that’s not the end. You should check the impacts of the decision and the steps you have taken to ensure that it works. This may mean you look for new input, iterate the decision-making steps and make some changes along the way. 

So, if the first decision is not working, and you need to go back to step two and choose another option, this does not mean you made a bad decision.

It just means you are a smart decision-maker!

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