8 Ways to Make Better Decisions at Work and in Life (2024)

Last year I participated in a 12-month coaching training program, and here’s the most interesting thing I learned: The key to making better life and business decisions is actually pretty simple—you need to ask yourself better questions.

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8 Ways to Make Better Decisions at Work and in Life (1)8 Ways to Make Better Decisions at Work and in Life (2)8 Ways to Make Better Decisions at Work and in Life (3)8 Ways to Make Better Decisions at Work and in Life (4)

When you live a super fast-paced life, it’s easy to be consumed with inventing and creating and doing stuff all the time. Because of that, when it comes to working, you’re efficient and streamlined, and your productivity is through the roof. But you know what you (and the rest of us humans) typically aren’t so great at? Noodling. Marinating. Pondering.

And that’s an important skill when it comes to big life decisions. In order to make smart, informed choices, you need to be able to logically think and emotionally feel through your options from several different angles before actually deciding.

If you’re on the cusp of making a big decision—like whether to accept a job you’ve been offered or introduce a new product to the market—here are eight factors you can use to help you evaluate your options, inspired by Tony Stoltzfus’ book, Coaching Questions: A Coach’s Guide to Powerful Asking Skills.

1. Rationality

First, run this decision through the rational, analytical part of your brain. Make a list of the pros and cons of your options. If you’re making a decision about whether to take a new job, for example, you might list “more money” as a pro and “less time at home” as a con.

2. Intuition

When you find yourself wavering between multiple options, your intuition is one of your most powerful decision-making tools. To hone in on your gut feeling, stop for a moment and don’t think about anything else. Simply sit in a quiet place for a few minutes and reflect on the decision. What feelings bubble up? Happy ones? Or the heebie-jeebies?

3. Relationships

Whether you’re married or single, have kids or don’t have kids, live by yourself or with six roommates, your decisions affect the people closest to you. To help you weigh the decision you’re about to make, think about how the decision would affect those around you.

For example, would the new job mean less time at home with your partner? Or would it mean your husband could quit his job because of the pay increase?

4. Alignment

You want any decision you make to be aligned with your passions, values, and priorities—or I guarantee it’s not going to feel like you made the right choice. But before you can figure out if the decision is in alignment with the things that mean the most to you, you first need to get clear about what those passions, values, and priorities are. Then, make a list of all the ways your decision aligns (or doesn’t align) with them.

5. Counsel

You’re clear about how your decision will affect other people in your life. But what do those same people think about how the decision you’re about to make will affect you? Talk to your partner, family, friends, colleagues, and mentors about your options. What do they think?

6. Negative Drivers

A lot of times, people make decisions based on fear. Maybe you’re afraid you’re not ever going to find a job you’re really thrilled about, so you take the one you feel less passionate about because you already have the job offer in hand—it’s a sure thing. Or, maybe you’re afraid no one is going to sign up for your company’s first conference, so you postpone it a year.

What fears are playing into your decision? You don’t have to solve for them all right now, but understanding how your fears are affecting your decisions will help you evaluate your options more objectively.

7. Cost

While money may not be the ultimate driver in many decisions, it’s an important factor to consider. How does your decision affect your finances? What resources will you need to execute on your decision? What would this decision cost in terms of time?

For example, if you’re the founder of a business and you’re deciding whether or not to introduce a new product to the marketplace, how much would it cost to build the product? Would you need to hire a team of one or 10? How much of your own time would you need to devote to successfully getting the product built and out into the world?

8. Risk and Reward

Finally, think about the risks associated with your options. What’s the safest decision? What’s the riskiest one? Are there any steps you could take to minimize the risk of that option? And then, on the other side, what are the potential rewards of each option? Sometimes the extra risk is worth the reward.

It’s really hard to slow down when you’re used to doing things at a million miles an hour. To make sure you actually give yourself the space to work through your options with these considerations, I suggest giving yourself a deadline to make your decision by. That way, the nagging part of your brain—and anyone waiting on your decision, like a potential employer—will know there’s a decision date in sight, giving yourself the time to explore your options and pick the best, truest one.

Photo of signs courtesy of Shutterstock.

8 Ways to Make Better Decisions at Work and in Life (2024)

FAQs

What are the 8 steps in making a tough decision? ›

How to make a difficult decision
  1. Put it on paper. ...
  2. Understanding your goals. ...
  3. Set aside time to think. ...
  4. Gather all the information. ...
  5. Base your decision on what's right for you. ...
  6. Take action. ...
  7. Practice decision-making. ...
  8. Keep things in perspective.
Oct 14, 2022

How to make better decisions at work? ›

What Are the 7 Steps of Decision Making?
  1. Investigate the situation in detail.
  2. Create a constructive environment.
  3. Generate good alternatives.
  4. Explore your options.
  5. Select the best solution.
  6. Evaluate your plan.
  7. Communicate your decision, and take action.

What should I do 4 simple steps to making better decisions in everyday life? ›

Once you have a general idea of how you make decisions, follow these four steps to make the most effective decision possible:
  1. DEFINE THE PROBLEM OR NEED: ...
  2. ANALYZE THE ISSUE AT HAND: ...
  3. IMPLEMENT AND COMMUNICATE: ...
  4. LEARN FROM THE PROCESS AND THE OUTCOME:
May 3, 2023

What are the 8 methods of decision-making? ›

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky
  • Identify need for decision.
  • Get relevant info.
  • Decide goals.
  • Develop criteria.
  • Generate a few viable options.
  • Weigh options.
  • Implement decision.
  • Revise implementation and decision as needed.
Mar 1, 2023

What are the 9 characteristics of good decision-making? ›

Here are nine characteristics of a good decision:
  • Good decisions positively impact others. ...
  • Good decisions are replicable. ...
  • Good decisions foster opportunity. ...
  • Good decisions include others. ...
  • Good decisions are executable. ...
  • A good decision is systematic. ...
  • Good decisions are accountable. ...
  • Good decisions are pragmatic.
Sep 2, 2015

How do you train yourself to make better decisions? ›

Here are a few ways you can improve your decision-making skills:
  1. Make a plan. If you know you have an upcoming decision to make, it can help to make a plan. ...
  2. Be assertive. Try taking command of the decision-making process. ...
  3. Ask an expert. ...
  4. Keep it in perspective. ...
  5. Set deadlines. ...
  6. Limit choices. ...
  7. Weigh your options. ...
  8. Exercise.
Feb 3, 2023

What are the five decision-making skills? ›

5 Steps to Good Decision Making
  • Step 1: Identify Your Goal. One of the most effective decision making strategies is to keep an eye on your goal. ...
  • Step 2: Gather Information for Weighing Your Options. ...
  • Step 3: Consider the Consequences. ...
  • Step 4: Make Your Decision. ...
  • Step 5: Evaluate Your Decision.

What are the six important decisions in life? ›

Book overview

In this newly revised edition, Sean Covey helps teens figure out how to approach the six major challenges they face: gaining self-esteem, dealing with their parents, making friends, being wise about sex, coping with substances, and succeeding at school and planning a career.

What are the 10 steps of decision making? ›

10 Steps to Making Better Decisions
  • Assess the Situation. Take the time to identify the situation clearly and then organize the issues that need to be addressed. ...
  • Take a Fresh Perspective. ...
  • Consider Your Options. ...
  • Analyze Each Option. ...
  • Get Unstuck. ...
  • Make the Decision. ...
  • Define an Action Plan. ...
  • Communicate Your Decision.

What are 5 examples of decision-making? ›

You have many decision-making examples in daily life such as:
  • Deciding what to wear.
  • Deciding what to eat for lunch.
  • Choosing which book to read.
  • Deciding what task to do next.
Sep 11, 2020

What are the 12 steps in decision-making? ›

Mastering Decision-Making: A 12-Step Guide for Better Choices
  • 1–Clarify Your Goals. ...
  • 2–Gather Information. ...
  • 3–Identify Options. ...
  • 4–Evaluate the Pros and Cons of Each Option. ...
  • 5–Consider Your Values. ...
  • 6–Seek Input and Feedback. ...
  • 7–Avoid Rushing. ...
  • 8–Use a Decision-Making Framework.

What are the 5 methods for decision-making? ›

The 5 main decision-making models
  • 1) Rational decision-making model. ...
  • 2) Bounded rationality decision-making model. ...
  • 3) Vroom-Yetton decision-making model. ...
  • 4) Intuitive decision-making model. ...
  • 5) The recognition primed model.
Nov 22, 2022

What are the 8 steps in ethical decision-making? ›

The eight steps are as follows: 1) identify the problem or dilemma, 2) identify the potential issues involved, 3) review the relevant ethical codes, 4) know the applicable laws and regulations, 5) obtain consultation, 6) consider possible and probable course of action, 7) enumerate the consequences of various decisions ...

What are the eight steps of decision-making ________? ›

The decision-making process has eight steps: definition of the problem, gathering information, evaluating alternatives, analysis of different choices, selection of criteria, selecting the best alternative, execution, and evaluation.

What are the 10 steps of decision-making? ›

10 Steps to Making Better Decisions
  • Assess the Situation. Take the time to identify the situation clearly and then organize the issues that need to be addressed. ...
  • Take a Fresh Perspective. ...
  • Consider Your Options. ...
  • Analyze Each Option. ...
  • Get Unstuck. ...
  • Make the Decision. ...
  • Define an Action Plan. ...
  • Communicate Your Decision.

What is your process for making tough decisions? ›

Here are five suggestions to help you make tough decisions:
  • Look beyond the moment. ...
  • Evaluate a “head choice” versus a “heart choice” ...
  • Consider if you could you survive if disappointed. ...
  • Respect the effect and influence of others. ...
  • Go with what you know.

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