Do This If You Need to Make Decisions Better and Faster

How to tell the difference between thoughtful analysis and overthinking it

Believe it or not, it’s entirely possible to get better — and faster — at making decisions. Dean Graziosi, a New York Times best-selling author and entrepreneur has come up with three tips for choosing the best option when speed and time both count. Keep these in mind the next time you’re faced with a major decision, either at work or at home:

Understand that decision-making isn’t black and white

We’re conditioned to believe that there are either “good” or “bad” decisions, but in reality, most fall somewhere in the middle. Coming to terms with this is a big part of allowing yourself to trust the decisions you make in a relatively short period of time, Graziosi says. Part of this involves letting go of decisions you made in the past that you weren’t entirely satisfied with and not letting them haunt you in the present, or with regard to your decisions about the future.

“Inevitably, when we hit these proverbial crossroads, when we choose one road over the other, there will be plenty of consequences,” he says. “Our choices do impact our relationships, our home lives  —  everything impacts everything.” The key to reducing your stress about that is to give yourself a break, and realize that there are positive and negative implications to everything… and that’s ok.

Focus on what could go right

Of course, Graziosi isn’t saying that we should entirely block out any potential negative consequences when making a decision, but it’s crucial — especially when we’re in a time crunch — to focus more on the positives and on what could go right. Though this sounds like a relatively simple switch, in reality, it can make a big difference.

“Focusing on the positives creates, in turn, positive energy, which makes us more creative and more genuinely inspired,” he says. “It encourages clear thinking. It even opens up a more clear line of communication between your mind and your gut  —  allowing you to feel your way to the right, more correct decision, as informed by your core values and your capital-B Big Goals.”

Similarly, an article in the Harvard Business Review explained that although corporations have spent a lot of time and money on strategic planning, in practice, the process can actually a barrier to good decision-making. The authors don’t argue that planning isn’t important (of course, it is!), but they point out that sometimes we can get so focused on avoiding negative outcomes that it prevents us from making better, faster decisions.

It’s OK to change — or challenge — your core values

Most people don’t hold the same set of beliefs their entire lives — and that’s normal and healthy. It means we have an open mind and are willing to learn about new perspectives. This is also an important part of effective decision-making: Graziosi says that we have to give ourselves the freedom to change our core values if they no longer make sense.

But beyond simply having the freedom to change our core beliefs, being able to reason and reconsider our positions on something is an important part of being human, as Aristotle writes in Nicomachean Ethics. Exercising our ability for rational thought, and rethinking situations we previously thought we had figured out not only strengthens our character, it also makes us better decision-makers.

The example Graziosi gives is someone staying in a bad marriage because they were raised Catholic and taught that this was an unacceptable way for a relationship to end. In reality, though, this person may rethink their beliefs and make the decision to get a divorce, knowing that it’s the best option for them in the long-run.

The same type of thing can happen in the workplace, too. Let’s say you work for an advertising agency and, as a matter of principle, only represent companies whose products you’ve used and loved. At one point, though, you’re offered the chance to work with a new client whose products you’re unfamiliar with, but who seems like a compelling partner when you meet. In this case, you may rethink your own stance and make the decision to work with them. In either case, it’s crucial to understand that as humans, we grow and change, and our decisions — and decision-making — can and should reflect that.


Stop Apologizing for Your Decisions, Start Owning Them

This new study shows what you should not be doing when you make decisions.

Guest Post by Alexandra Hayes

It goes without saying that making choices is part of what it means to be an adult. Some of them are relatively simple, like narrowing down dinner options or deciding what to wear to work on the day of a big meeting.

Then, there are the more complicated decisions that affect others and can invoke feelings of selfishness and guilt, like whether you should leave your current job where you’re needed and respected for another where there’s more opportunity for growth.

Or, say you’re a skilled engineer — do you spend your time fixing your friends’ iPhones, or decline so you can spend time doing more meaningful work that also advances your career?

Science says…

Of course, each decision is a personal one, but a new study from Ohio State University suggests there’s a mindset you can adopt that will help you make decisions that maximize benefits for you and others — big picture thinking — without the guilt associated with selfishness.

One key to maximizing benefits for everyone, according to the study’s lead author Paul Stillman, PhD, is accepting the fact that sometimes the best decision will benefit you the most. He added, “The most efficient decision is the one that is going to maximize the total pie. Sometimes it makes the most sense to seem a bit selfish if that is going to maximize overall benefits.”

In the study, researchers assigned 106 students one of two distinct frames of mind: the first, a “big picture” (what psychologists call “high construal” thinking) mindset; the second, an immediate, present-day mindset.

One experiment asked students to make anonymous decisions about how to split up money between themselves and four others with the goal of maximizing benefits. Ultimately, “maximizing benefits” meant something different to each of the participants — half of them understood the phrase as making decisions that favor others, while the other half understood it as making decisions that favor themselves.

Why a ‘Big Picture Mindset’ Matters…

The results revealed that those with a “big picture” mindset almost always made choices that maximized total value for the group, whether or not the choice was most helpful to them. Meaning, they were cool with decisions that seemed selfish, so long as they felt the decision maximized benefits for the group.

Three other experiments confirmed these results, though using slightly different scenarios.

While the results are intriguing, I found myself wondering how I could actually implement big picture thinking — especially since I often find myself focused on immediate outcomes.

So I got in touch with Stillman to see what he’d recommend for someone like me.

The advice you need to make decisions

First off, he suggested taking a “metaphorical step back”, which is another way of saying put distance between yourself and whatever it is you’re considering, like imagining you’re a fly on the wall watching yourself. When you remove yourself from the situation and observe as an outsider, you’re more likely to make the smart choice — the one that serves you and others. Next, he says, you should imagine you’re helping someone else make the decision, rather than yourself.

This advice resonated with me and in my experience, has been a tried and true method for making smart choices.

Would I urge a loved one to make this decision?

Yes?

Decision made!


Originally Posted on Thrive Global.
Alexandra Hayes, Thrive Global Audience Engagement Editor.

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