It is estimated that every day a person makes 35,000 decisions. Some quite small, others more serious and with consequences. However, not everyone has the skills to make good decisions. Bad habits also lead to bad decisions, but there are mechanisms to change those habits and improve.
Who actually makes the decision and how?
Even if a person thinks they are making decisions independently, sometimes they need to take a step back and think about who is actually making the decision. Is he or she making the decision alone, deciding with someone else, making the decision influenced by information from others, or empowered to make a decision for someone else.
In addition to who, you need to review exactly how the decision will be made. Will it rely on data, on market research or on intuition. People with a confirmation bias make a decision first and then look for data to back it up. This is a tendency of people to believe more and pay more attention to information that confirms their preconceived ideas, concepts, or hypotheses, regardless of whether the information is correct, while ignoring details that contradict them.
Other biases that harm good decision making is the “IKEA” effect. When a person has created (or assembled) something on his or her own, he or she gives it more importance and value. Availability bias suggests using the most recent and readily available information when making a decision, rather than gathering additional data before making a better-informed decision.
When are good decisions made?
There are circumstances in which it is good to make a decision and those in which it is not advisable. When a realistic deadline arrives is a good time to make a decision. Parkinson’s Law says that a person will use all the time given to them whether they needs it or not. Long deadlines predispose procrastination.
It is not recommended to make decisions when one is tired and with low energy levels. The same applies when people are emotional and under affect. A decision should not be made while several things are being done at the same time and it is not possible to focus on the topic. It is better to make decisions when time has been taken for reflection.
Need for a new perspective
During discussions, extroverts often dominate and introverts speak only if invited. When introverts speak, they provide a fresh perspective and challenge views.
When presenting data, one must be careful how it is presented, as well as what is included and what is missing. When choosing between two options, in addition to comparing and choosing between the two, a third, even better alternative can be sought if possible.
