Resource: Decision Making Tuesday 31 March 2020 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Making effective decisions as a manager is a very significant challenge in a fast-moving world. Increasingly managers are expected to act under conditions of uncertainty or limited information, which have a considerable impact at every stage of the decision making process. As a manager, you will need to apply your skills to select the most appropriate approach for the context you are operating in and the kind of decision you need to make. Usually this will involve finding a balance between the two extremes outlined above. Good decision making skills will enable you to understand what information you will require and how best to use it to inform your decision, as well as helping you to avoid unhelpful or biased assumptions, and recognising the degrees of uncertainty and risk involved and whether these are acceptable in the circumstances. Understanding the implications of your decision, including the impact on departmental and organisational objectives, will help you to avoid costly mistakes and make decisions that add value to your business. Decision Making Definition Decision making skills enable a manager to consider alternatives and use judgement to choose an appropriate and timely course of action. The terms ‘decision making’ and ‘problem solving’ are often used interchangeably but are not identical. As the term suggests ‘problem solving’ starts with the identification of a problem or difficulty. The resolution of a problem may require decision making skills, but these are also relevant in other situations - where there is a desire to plan for the future or develop new areas of business, for example. Decision making models and tools Below are some of the most effective and ethical decision making models: Kepner and Tregoe's model De Bono’s six thinking hats Tannenbaum and Schmidt leadership continuum Stakeholder analysis Force field analysis Deming’s PDCA Cycle “the Deming Wheel” How to make a decision: decision making checklist 1. Be clear about the scope of the decision you are faced with 2. Consider the potential impact of the decision and how this will be evaluated 3. Decide who needs to be involved in the decision making process 4. Define the issue to be decided and collect relevant information 5. Take account of uncertainty 6. Gather appropriate contributions 7. Use decision making tools which fit the situation 8. Watch out for biases and common psychological traps 9. Communicate the decision and act on it 10. Monitor and learn from the outcomes To learn more about decision making and detailed description of the action checklist, view the guide below: Download the guide Developing decision making skills Like this article? Why not share it. Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email You might also like these posts on this topic: Topic: How independents can win against encroaching rivals Independent consultants must differentiate themselves from competition, such as positioning as trusted specialists Read article Article Topic: Empowering leadership through somatic trauma-informed coaching: my CMI journey Caron Sanders-Crook FCMI shares how studying for a CMI Level 7 Diploma deepened her approach to compassionate leadership Read article Article Topic: “Leadership needs to be held to professional standards” Dr Ayham Ammora FCMI is running for the role of chancellor at the University of Cambridge Read article Article Topic: “You need a bit of edge”: five leadership lessons from BT’s group chief executive Allison Kirkby, group chief executive of BT, shares a tale of hard work, setbacks and pushing beyond her comfort zone… Read article Article Browse all posts Don’t miss out - get notified of new content Sign-up to become a Friend of CMI to recieve our free newsletter for a regular round-up of our latest insight and guidance. CMI members always see more. For the widest selection of content, including CPD tools and multimedia resources, check out how to get involved with CMI membership. Newsletter More ways to get involved Resource The information on this page is designed to help you to develop ever more compelling business proposals and presentations. Take a look at our selection of tools which could help support you. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.