Be creative (Brilliant Little Ideas) by Infinite Ideas

Author:Infinite Ideas [Ideas, Infinite]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Infinite Ideas (Trade)
Published: 2011-12-13T23:00:00+00:00

29. Make decisions

Debating the ‘best’ decision can lead to actually deciding nothing. Good decision making is often a ‘teams and timing’ thing.

Like good comedy, the key to good decision making is… timing. Give yourself time to think, but don’t procrastinate. Before we get going, let’s knock on the head the notion that ‘being decisive’ and ‘making good decisions’ are necessarily the same thing. Let’s remember that Margaret Thatcher, the model of a decisive Prime Minister, introduced the disastrous poll tax.

Being indecisive can be equally bad. Unnecessary procrastination often leads to results every bit as dismal as those achieved by the obsessively decisive. Think of all the appeasers in history who were just that bit too inclined to do nothing.

Good decision makers seem to have three key abilities, namely to: gather the appropriate evidence (and ignore irrelevances); weigh up the evidence correctly; make the decision at just the right time (neither too early nor too late).

Sometimes decision making is a solo activity – say, when you are the only person with all the information necessary to make that decision. On other occasions, we can reach a better quality decision by involving others. In his book The Wisdom of Crowds, columnist James Surowiecki explores how large groups of people can consistently deploy their pooled wisdom to outstrip individuals – no matter how brilliant the individual – in solving problems, fostering innovation and coming to wise decisions.

When it comes to making the decision at the right time, there is obviously no ‘one-size-fits-all’ moment. Every decision has to be assessed in its own context. Generally speaking, you’ll find it’s more important to make the right decision than the ‘best’ decision. Every decision involves a level of risk, and some decisions are more critical than others to get absolutely right.

If there are a number of ways of doing something, and it looks like most of them would work well enough, there’s little value to be gained – and much time to be lost – in agonising over finding the best possible solution. On those occasions, just be pragmatic: implement a perfectly satisfactory solution – even if it’s not absolutely optimal.

Here’s an idea for you…

Practice making some ‘just-in-time’ decisions – neither premature, and thus risking not having all the necessary evidence, nor too late and thus missing the boat. Do this by making your decision the moment before you need to take action.

Defining idea…

‘A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow.’

GEORGE S. PATTON

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