Decision making and problem solving

Decision making and problem solving are important skills for business and life. Problem-solving often involves decision-making, and decision-making is especially important for management and leadership. There are many processes to improve decision making skill.

Decision-making is more natural to certain personalities, so these people should focus more on improving the quality of their decisions. People that are less natural decision-makers are often able to make quality assessments, but then need to be more decisive in acting upon the assessments made. Problem-solving and decision-making are closely linked, and each requires creativity in identifying and developing options, for which the brainstorming technique is particularly useful.

Good decision-making requires a mixture of skills: creative development and identification of options, clarity of judgement, firmness of decision, and effective implementation. For group problem-solving and decision-making, or when a consensus is require, workshops help, within which you can incorporate these tools and process as appropriate. Here are some useful methods for effective decision-making and problem-solving

Decision-making process

1. Define and clarify the issue

2. Gather all the facts and understand their causes.

3. Think about possible options and solutions

4. Consider and compare the ‘pros and cons’ of each option — consult others if necessary or useful

5. Select the best option

6. Explain your decision to those involved and affected

7.Follow up to ensure proper and effective implementation.