
In the of Summer 2009, Sarah Palin announced her decision to resign as Governor of Alaska. The media speculates whether this is a strategic move towards the 2012 Presidency. Regardless of your political views, one cannot help to ask: was this a profitable decision or will she regret it later?
Do you make decisions that you later regret? Yes, we all have. However, in a leadership role, it is crucial you make decisions that are profitable and not regrettable. Regrettable decisions are costly which have great impact the finances. Or, poor decision making can impact your product/service offerings potentially losing current and future clients. Are poor decisions worth such anguish? Decision making is forming an opinion through careful testing of assumptions and facts. Therefore, when making a decision, it is important to consider 4 key actions: x x x
- Step 1: Identify issues, problems and opportunities. As a leader, it is important to recognize all of the issues, problems, and potential opportunities you are faced with when making a decision.
- Step 2: Gather data. Research your potential opportunities based on the facts and not on you WISH list.
- Step 3: Consider the consequences. Usually, when faced with making a decision, we only think about our desired outcome and not the possible pitfalls. Eliminating this step usually leads to regret.
- Step 4: Commit to action. Sometimes, as leaders, we make finally make a decision, but we do not follow through or we implement the decision too late.
Now, identify a current and crucial situation that requires a decision. How do you make the decision? Do you make the decision the regrettable way or do you learn to incorporate new decision making skills? x x
Disclaimer: the mentioning of Sarah Palin in this blog post does not reflect personal or political views.
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(c) 2009 Karlyn D. Henderson, M.A. All rights reserved worldwide.
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