Who is making the big decisions in your organization? When it comes to hiring employees or accepting a deal, you want to be deliberate about making the best choice. With the right process and personnel, you’ll be able to make wise decisions.
And with wise decisions, you can grow your organization. Read on to learn about the decision making model and how it can impact your business!
Determine Who Should Make Decisions
In many instances, you might want to have a group involved in the decision process. This way, you can tap into a wider breadth of knowledge and perspectives.
Another benefit of this approach is that you can gather individuals from different areas within an organization. For instance, you can have someone from marketing, development, and upper management.
Someone at the helm of an organization may want to enlist employees and management in decision making. If you’re a director, you could appoint people to preliminary roles within a decision process before you make the final call. This saves you time and empowers employees at lower levels.
For example, an initial committee could screen candidates or products. They could then submit recommendations to a smaller group of individuals at a managerial level. Those individuals could then submit to you a final recommendation.
In other instances, one person may be at the helm as a decision maker. This person could be a chief executive officer or director. There are times when decisive action is needed — and the head person needs to be ready.
A Decision Making Model Asks the Right Questions
Whether you’re making a decision alone or with a team, work with some questions in mind. Take the time on the front end to list questions that could impact the outcome. For instance, you should ask yourself if the decision complies with the mission of your organization.
Ask yourself if the decision is equitable. While there are times where hiring an internal candidate or working with a familiar face can be helpful, you don’t want to have your blinders up. In other words, you don’t want to negate a deal or person without a good reason.
A good decision making model also considers the optics of a decision. Does it reflect well on the company? Would you be pleased to share the news with other people inside and outside of the company?
In instances where legal issues arise, have an attorney present to read the fine print. You don’t want to compromise the integrity of your organization during the decision process.
Focus on Information Gathering
What’s one of the most important parts of the decision process? That would be information gathering! This critical step can take hours or months depending on the nature of a decision.
If you neglect to gather enough information, you run the risk of making a decision that will harm your organization’s goals or efficiency. Assign employees with the relevant expertise to help make sure your decision making model is effective.
For instance, you may be trying to determine the details of a branding campaign. In that scenario, you’ll want at least one member of your marketing team involved. You may wish to bring in a consultant or graphic designer, too, to offer aesthetic input.
You also would want to have someone with budget responsibilities to keep the expenses under control. And an employee who engages with customers would be able to provide sound suggestions, too. Ultimately, the team overseeing a branding decision would need to assemble a report.
This report would outline their recommendations and design mock-ups for the director. This report could take the form of a document or presentation. And it would reflect the committee’s consideration of the messaging goals that would help attract more customers!
Consider the Alternatives During the Decision Process
During the decision process, it’s helpful to include surveys, polls, and comments. You’ll want to open these up to all individuals involved in the decision process. If you’re spread over departments or divisions, you’ll need to take this conversation to a digital platform.
With Agreed Software, you can unite multiple voices during the decision process. When you understand how it works, you’ll be able to invite your employees to communicate via this platform.
You also should look at hypothetical scenarios for each alternative decision. How would they play out, and which one yields the best outcome? In these instances, having the input of multiple individuals can help avoid a problematic choice.
Know the Concerns that May Impact a Decision Maker
Are there any biases to be aware of? When you’re trying to make an objective decision for an organization, consider how each person is connected. You may need to ask some individuals to refrain from participating.
For instance, if you’re determining whether to hire a certain individual, you shouldn’t allow any employees related to them to weigh in. Similarly, a candidate’s educational background and employment history can bias a decision maker.
Additionally, make decisions at an optimal time of day. Some people can feel drowsy in the afternoons, so you might be better off making decisions earlier in the workday. With some caffeine and protein, a decision maker will be clear-headed and alert.
Understand the Decision Process
Figure out which decision making model is best for your organization. Then focus on collecting information and weighing the pluses and minuses. When you’ve exhausted all possibilities, you can rest assured that you’re making an informed decision. To learn more tips to help your business, check back for new articles!
