Using good criteria in decision making is a good way to make better decisions. Good criteria allow you to weigh information and consider uncertainties. They also help you identify alternatives and determine your objectives. The next step is to reflect on your decision. When you make decisions, you want to use good criteria, not just the most common ones.
Assessing alternatives
Assessing alternatives is an important step in decision-making. It involves gathering information and engaging with stakeholders. It is an opportunity to generate new ideas and uncover hidden opposition. It can help you to make better decisions. If you are a decision-maker, it is important to understand and use the concepts and techniques of assessment.
When assessing alternatives, it is important to use appropriate comparison criteria that consider all the stakeholders' perspectives. You also need to assemble an appropriate team and make sure that they are open to diverse perspectives. Data must also be accessible and work well with the methodology used. Luckily, there are tools like ProjectManager that can help you organize alternative analysis and make it simple to share the results with stakeholders.
Identifying objectives
When making decisions, it's essential to identify the objectives and then compare options. This can help ensure that a decision is made based on the most important aspects of the options. Moreover, deciding what's important can help you place extraneous features in their proper perspective. After identifying the objectives, develop them as a decision objective.
To make better decisions, identify the problem you want to solve or the question you want to answer. This step is critical, because if you don't define your problem clearly, you'll end up making the wrong decision. In addition, it's important to set a clear objective, which should be measurable and time-bound.
Eliminating options
Eliminating options may seem counterproductive at first, but if you limit your options, you can make better decisions. Reducing the options available can help you avoid analysis paralysis and decision fatigue. By limiting your options to clear contenders, you can spend time analyzing each option in depth. You can eliminate options by comparing the attributes of each one. But make sure to use crisp criteria for eliminating options. Avoid using criteria that require judgment calls because they will cause the brain to switch into different decision-making modes, which is not helpful for decision making.
The process of eliminating options begins with identifying the weakest option. This will help you understand how each option affects the decision overall. You should also consider secondary factors that may impact the decision.
Reflecting on decisions
While psychological studies show that people are able to make better decisions when they reflect on their choices, it should be noted that not all information necessary for making good decisions is available through conscious reflection. Moreover, we often overlook key factors while trying to investigate reasons for our choices. For this reason, reflecting on decisions after they have been made is not always the best way to go.
The process of reflection should include exploring the predicament and searching for possible solutions. It should also include taking values and expectations into account and incorporating them into your decision. Additionally, it should involve taking charge of your personal and professional development and paying attention to cultures and change systems. Different types of reflection are required for different areas and for different age groups and professions. In addition, if your decision does not turn out well, it is important to take a step back and think about other options. This will help you improve your decision-making skills.
Considering the greater good
When we make decisions, we should consider the public good. The public good is the benefit to all community members. This includes material, cultural, and institutional facilities. It also includes things like police protection, civil liberties, property rights, and national defense. If we don't consider the public good, we may make decisions that benefit only a few.