Did you know that your ability to make decisions may determine your success in life?
The NUMBER ONE reason for not accomplishing success in life is indecision and procrastination.
But, how do successful leaders avoid common decision traps of “analysis paralysis,” or fear of making the WRONG decision which can result in NO decision at all? Personal success author and guru, Napoleon Hill, had a lot to say about decision-making and considered it one of the primary keys to success. Through his research of the most successful people of his day, Hill determined decision-making is a critical attribute of successful people.
Hill determined that hundreds of self-made millionaires shared the following two critical decision-making traits:
- They made decisions promptly.
- They changed decisions slowly (if and when decisions were changed at all)
But, for most of us, it is not this simple…
Have you ever suffered from “analysis paralysis?” Fear of making the WRONG decision can stop us dead in our tracks. But, we must do our best with the data at hand to make an informed choice. Moving forward is CRITICAL. Do not let the “what if’s” of tomorrow keep you from making decisions today. You simply MUST be able to make decisions to move forward in business and in life.
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.“ -Theodore Roosevelt
Successful or Not?
In fact, after interviewing 25,000 people rated as “failures,” Napoleon Hill determined ‘lack of decision making’ topped the list of reasons for their failure. We would be wise to learn from these findings and remember: a.) indecision is a decision in itself. b.) do not be easily influenced by others’ opinions or you will be constantly changing course.
4 Strategies for Decision Making Success
Adopt the following strategies to improve your own decision-making abilities:
- Stop hedging. Failure to make decisions, or taking a prolonged time to make decisions, will undermine success. Make an informed decision based on the information you have at a given point in time, and then stick with it.
- No “perfect” decision. Remember that there is no PERFECT decision. Stop waiting for things to become crystal clear such that you are able to make a perfect decision, because there is NO SUCH THING. To become efficient at decision making, you must take a leap of faith with the information you have. You may not have all the answers, but doing something is usually better than doing nothing at all.
- The Weighted Decision Matrix. When working through a complex decision requiring the analysis of multiple variables, consider using a weighted decision matrix. (Google this term for examples if needed.) This helpful decision-making tool is multi-dimensional, allowing the consideration of multiple variables at once. As a result, subjective opinions can be made more objective using weighted criteria, making complicated decisions considerably easier.
- Stick with a decision. Do not change your decisions frequently or quickly. Changing one’s mind quickly or often usually leads to failure.
Mastering the nuances of good decision-making requires practice. Make a conscious habit of using the strategies outlined here to improve your own success!
And remember – if you are looking for a high-quality resource of contact info for decision-makers in corporate training or HR, your DECISION IS CLEAR:
Mentor Tech Group is the only company SPECIALIZED in Corporate Training & HR. We hand-build and maintain a database of contact information for 40,000+ decision-makers in:
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- Highly accurate, 100% human-verified information for Training & HR decision-maker contacts
- Free data updates every four months, keeping your data fresh
- Contacts categorized by specific job functions (“Job Codes”), instead of nebulous job titles
Contact us today to learn more: (651) 457-8600, Ext. 1.
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