MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS – CONTINUED

An effective decision-making process does not essentially have to be full-proof but one that ensures we come to the best possible decision among all the other alternatives.

To be effective, these 6 criteria must be fulfilled

• It focuses on what’s important.

• It is logical and consistent.

• It acknowledges both subjective and objective factors and
blends analytical with intuitive thinking.

• It requires only as much information and analysis as is
necessary to resolve a particular dilemma.

• It encourages and guides the gathering of relevant
information and informed opinion.
• It is straightforward, reliable, easy to use, and flexible.

A decision-making approach that addresses these criteria can be
practiced on decisions major and minor—what movie to see, what
car to buy, what vacation to take, what investment to make, what
department head to hire, what medical treatment to pursue. And
the more you use such an approach, the more efficient and effec-
tive it will become. As you grow more skilled and your confidence
grows, making decisions will become second nature to you. In fact,
you may find your friends and associates asking you for help and
advice with their tough choices!

The PrOACT method Analysis of business problems teaches us that it is not about the final decision but the process by which we arrived at that decision. It helps us to see both the tangible and the intangible aspects of your decision situation more clearly and to translate all
pertinent facts, feelings, opinions, beliefs, and advice into the best
possible choice.

Highly flexible, it applies to business and
professional decisions, to personal decisions, to family deci-
sions—to any decision you need to make.
One thing the method won’t do is make hard decisions easy.
That’s impossible. Hard decisions are hard because they’re com-
plex and no one can make that complexity disappear. But you
can manage complexity sensibly. How? Just like you’d hike up a
mountain: one step at a time.
Our approach takes one step at a time. We have found that
even the most complex decision can be analyzed and resolved by
considering a set of eight elements (see below). The first five—
Problem, Objectives, Alternatives, Consequences, and Tradeoffs—
constitute the core of our approach and apply to virtually
any decision.

The acronym for these—PrOACT—serves as a re-
minder that the best approach to decision situations is a proactive one. The worst thing you can do is wait until a decision is forced
on you—or made for you.
The three remaining elements—uncertainty, risk tolerance, and
linked decisions—help clarify decisions in volatile or evolving envi-
ronments. Some decisions won’t involve these elements, but many
of your most important decisions will.
The essence of the PrOACT approach is to divide and conquer.
To resolve a complex decision situation, you break it into these
elements and think systematically about each one, focusing on
those that are key to your particular situation. Then you reassemble
your thoughts and analysis into the smart choice. So, although the method may not make a hard decision easy, it will certainly
make it easier.