Characteristics of Effective Leadership: Decisiveness

Decisiveness
Subprime mortgage troubles, the dropping dollar, rising oil prices, capricious stock markets –
2008 looks to be a volatile year for many industries and many companies.

The rapid pace of business and increasing time pressures mean that dealing with the speed and
complexity of all this volatility and change has become an everyday challenge. In this
environment, leaders will be judged more heavily than ever on whether the decisions they make
help or hurt their companies.

The best leaders make sound, defensible decisions in a timely fashion, especially in times of crisis
and uncertainty. Managers at all levels of the organization are involved in constant decision-
making and the quality of these decisions (both speed and soundness) accumulates and decides
the fate of the organization. Executives perceived as indecisive or poor decision makers will
quickly lose the confidence and commitment of their team.

A leader’s ability to make a high percentage of good decisions is fundamental to the

effectiveness of the individual and the success of his or her organization. So how does an
executive maximize his or her batting average when it comes to making the right decisions?

By viewing decision-making as a process and not an event.

The Process
The dangers of taking too long to come to a decision are obvious. However, leaders must also
consider the dangers of deciding too quickly. Leaders who make mostly good decisions
recognize that it happens as a process, not at a single point in time. The process employed by
successful decision-makers entails the following:

 Gather information from a broad range of sources.

Lots of research suggests that a diverse group of independent thinkers with access to
sufficient information will consistently make better decisions than even the smartest CEO
can. The decisive leader avoids existing in an echo chamber of their own opinions and pays
attention to thoughts that differ from his or her own.
 Foster constructive conflict.
The Scottish philosopher David Hume observed that “Truth springs from arguments
amongst friends.” This is true, as long as the arguments occur in the spirit of collaborative
problem-solving, and not just lobbying for entrenched positions. The leader should
encourage participants in the decision-making process to share information widely,
preferably in raw form (rather than selectively to advocate a position), to allow others to
draw their own conclusions. If the process is viewed as a contest between different views,
rather than a collective effort to test and evaluate alternatives, then it quickly devolves into
a test of strength, where innovative thought is suppressed and participants are encouraged
to go along with the dominant view to avoid further conflict.
 Honestly consider the alternatives.
When a leader considers many alternatives, he or she engages in more thoughtful analysis
and avoids settling too early on easy, obvious answers. However, just giving others a chance
to voice their views is not enough. If they feel their voice was never really heard or honestly
considered, this will lead to resentment and resistance to the final decision. While not every
 participant can prevail in the process, it is critical that the leader makes it clear to other
stakeholders that they had a genuine opportunity to influence the outcome. This means the
leader should convey openness by actively listening to and investigating the alternative
ideas presented.
 Don’t dominate the process.
People who talk first and talk the most, tend to have an inordinate influence on a group’s
collective opinion – even if what they’re saying makes little sense. If the speaker is a
charismatic CEO or other leader, then the likelihood of slanting the debate is even greater.
The leader should avoid disclosing their personal preferences too early in the process or
suggesting that their minds are already made up. Otherwise the process will stop in its
tracks.
 Test assumptions.
The leader must be able to discern between “facts” that have been carefully tested and
those that have been merely asserted or assumed. Seek input from helpful contrarians who
ask hard questions that can trigger healthy debate and be open to fine-tuning after the
decision is made in case the assumptions turn out to be wrong.
 Make a clear yes/no decision and thoroughly explain it.
Making the right decision is meaningless if no action comes of it. In order to give credence
to your decision and effectively mobilize the people and resources you need to put your
decision into practice, you must clearly explain the thought process behind the call and
convey how each participant’s input affected the final decision. Be mindful that different
people process messages differently, so be concise and strive to avoid ambiguity in your
communications.
 Stay involved with the execution.
A decision that is not successfully executed is a poor decision, no matter how much thought
went into it. A decisive leader doesn’t simply “pull the trigger” and move on, but rather stays
engaged with the execution, asks for continuous feedback on the results (and makes
adjustments if necessary) and provides active support of those involved in carrying it out.

Decisiveness Defined

is the willingness to make decisions, even in the face of complexity or uncertainty. When we
are decisive, we weigh the information that is available to us and we use our judgement to
choose among the possibilities. It is easier to be decisive when we are clear about our values
and goals.

Decisiveness means taking the risk that we may be wrong, but knowing that perfect clarity is
rarely available and indecision can be costly. It also means taking responsibility for the
outcome of the decision.
THE ROLE OF DECISIVENESS IN ACHIEVING RESULTS

When decisions need to be made, effective managers gather the facts, analyze the situation,
consider alternatives, and decide on the best course of action -- and they do it quickly! They don't
procrastinate, and they certainly don't stand around wringing their hands. They move!

Further, once a decision is made, there is no looking back. The time for constructive dissent has
passed. Instead, it is time for all members of the team to get behind the decision with 100
percent buy-in, even if their recommended course of action was not taken, and it is incumbent
upon the manager to ensure this happens. Even the best decision can be undermined by lack of
support and backroom second guessing.

Decisive managers understand that their decisions may not be perfect and, therefore, that
modifications may be needed. They don't hesitate to modify or alter their decisions when it
becomes clear that the original decision isn't working out exactly as planned. The effective
manager knows that making a decision and taking action is almost always better than taking no
action at all.

Frank was conducting a leadership session , in Toronto, Canada. It was a retreat for top-level
managers. He asked the group about the outcomes of their decision making: "If you could go
back through all the decisions you made in the last year, what percentage of those decisions
would you make in exactly the same way?" The consensus of the group was about 50 percent.
One participant said that even though he would change about 50 percent of his decisions in
some way, he wouldn't want to get out of the "decision-making business."

Some managers postpone tough decisions with the rationale that they aren't hurting their
organization if they wait until things look clearer and an obvious decision can be made. This
rationalization couldn't be further from the truth. Many a manager has experienced missed
opportunities resulting from this way of thinking. You need to gather facts and data, analyze
them, consider alternatives, and move forward, making the best decision you can at the time with
the information that is available.

I know that making decisions and taking action comes at a risk. After all, you may make a
mistake. It has always been my preference to take the risk anyway. I've never considered making
an honest mistake to be a career-interrupting event for myself or the people who have worked for
me. However, making a mistake, realizing it, and not taking immediate action to correct it could
very well be. Too often, ego and pride get in the way of taking corrective action, and the result is
wasted time and energy.

The hardest decisions to make are usually the ones for which managers receive many different
opinions on the best course of action. For some managers, myriad opinions would be reason not
to decide at all. My advice to managers has always been to use their best judgment, choose a
course of action, and get on with it. Furthermore, I always advise that if the decision proves not to
be the right one, fix it as quickly as possible.
Have you ever had a manager who just couldn't make a decision? Unfortunately, there are many
of them out there, and they are very frustrating to work for. As compared with consensus-building
managers who procrastinate in making decisions, though they eventually will regardless of how
late or watered down, here I'm referring to managers who just can't make a decision at all.
Perhaps they lack self-confidence, believing they are unable to make the right decisions, so they
take no action. These managers can be salvaged if they work for strong leaders who force
decisions to be made.

Other managers might simply be lazy, or they don't want to take the time required to make good
decisions. They are comfortable with the status quo and don't see, or choose not to see, that
their decisions are necessary. These are the managers who usually can't be salvaged and need
to find another line of work -- one that does not involve managing people.
Just Make a Decision Already
Strategic decisiveness is one of the most vital success attributes for leaders in every position
and every industry, but few leaders understand where it comes from or how to find more of it.
It is not surprising that picking one strategic direction and then decisively pursuing that
direction are hallmarks of good leadership, if not boilerplate management skills. The big
mystery is why these obviously important skills are still rare enough to distinguish excellent
leaders from average managers.
In researching Why Quitters Win, I came to recognize the three primary sources of
decisiveness — nature, training, and incentive — and also how you can manipulate them to
claim an advantage for yourself and your organization.
1. Decisive By Nature. In a 2010 study, Psychologist Georges Potworowski at the University
of Michigan found that certain personality traits (e.g., emotional stability, self-efficacy, social
boldness, and locus of control) predict why some people are naturally more decisive than
others.
When faced with two equally attractive strategic options, timid, less emotionally stable
leaders who fear upsetting anyone will let the debate drag on for weeks or months before
selecting a compromised Frankenstein solution that both sides can merely tolerate. At the end
of the year, the team is moderately satisfied with their moderate impact on a smattering of
moderately important objectives. The team successfully achieves mediocrity, which is then
reflected in the leader’s mediocre performance ratings.
More decisively gifted mangers make it clear from the beginning that they will carefully
consider both sides of the argument, but will ultimately choose what they judge to be best for
their team. They make the decision early on, and move quickly to enlist both sides in
executing her decision. Some members of the team are not thrilled with the choice but are
quietly pleased to finally have some clarity of direction. The team makes significant progress
in the chosen strategic direction, which is reflected in their high performance ratings.
2. Decisive By Training. In the mid-1990s, researchers Shelley Taylor of UCLA and Peter
Gollwitzer at NYU discovered that when contemplating a decision we have not yet made,
virtually everyone will temporarily exhibit the same personality traits — neuroticism, low
sense of control, pessimism — that the Michigan study linked to indecisiveness. As soon as
we make the decision and begin charting the steps for executing it, our brains automatically
switch gears. All of the sudden, we feel confident, capable, and in control — the perfect
mindset for behaving more decisively.
In other words, all of us have the potential to be decisive or indecisive. In a given day, most
of us slip in and out of a decisive mindset. The excellent leaders in Kevin Wilde’s study have
simply learned how to make “decisive” their default setting. That initial decisiveness puts
them in a more decisive mindset which begets even more decisiveness and so on.
Paradoxically, it seems the best way to slip into a decisive mindset is to make a decision. But
in my experience, simply training people to apply a simple process with a clearly defined
start and end point gives them the emotional permission they need to get the ball rolling with
that first decision.
3. Decisive By Incentive. In 2006 Agilent Technologies CEO, Bill Sullivan decided that his
managers’ decisions were not keeping pace with the rapid industry changes. Within just 3
years, the company’s mangers leaped from the 50th percentile in decisiveness (relative to
industry peers) up to the 82nd percentile. How?
Together with his head of Global Talent, Kirk Froggatt, Sullivan created a simple “speed to
opportunity” metric in which they periodically asked every employee to rate their manger on
decisiveness. The simple metric made Agilent’s managers constantly aware that timely
decisions are both valued and rewarded in their organization.
Neither the training mentioned above, nor incentives like Agilent’s decisiveness metric
invalidate data-gathering, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. These skills should be
baked into the decision process itself. The point is to clarify for managers that all of these
skills are merely means to the true end goal of making a decision. If the end result is not a
timely decision, then it doesn’t matter how much collaboration or critical thinking took place.
Decisiveness

Definition: Makes timely and sound* decisions based on analysis of the information
presented in the face of ambiguous or conflicting situations or when there is an associated
risk. It involves being able to know when to stop collecting data when sufficient information
is obtained and make decisions that consider available evidence, weighs information based on
relevancy and accurately identifies the consequences of decisions or actions against desired
outcome (based on available information at the time).
* Decisions are sound given what was known at the time and are based on good judgement.
Scale progression: The scale progresses from making timely yet basic decisions in simple
situations to making complex and strategic decisions in ambiguous situations.
Level 1

Makes decisions in routine context

 Makes and implements routine decisions in a timely manner.
 Consults and seeks necessary information on which to base decisions but is not paralyzed by
the analysis.
 Confidently deals with "clear cut" situations.
 Selects solutions based on pre-identified alternatives or known options.
 Understands when an "80% solution" is sufficient and acts accordingly.

Level 2

Makes decisions in ambiguous situations

 Recognizes conflicting data when it surfaces and determines appropriate responses in a
timely manner.
 Uses sound judgement in making decisions; is comfortable making "leaps of faith" when
experience and data point to a logical direction.
 Weighs appropriately available information when choosing the best protocol.
 Autonomously manages competing priorities and acts to obtain desired outcomes.
 Makes and implements decisions when faced with differing stakeholder perspectives and/or
some missing information, based on the needs and objectives of NRC and/or the Portfolio.
 Takes ownership of decisions and ensures they are consistent with legislation, precedent
and established policies and procedures.
 Makes the appropriate "call" given what is known at the time.

Level 3

Makes decisions when under pressure or in a crisis

 Makes time-sensitive decisions even when only limited information may be available but is
sufficient enough in order to exercise solid judgment.
 Acknowledges personal responsibility for outcomes of decisions made during crisis.
  Makes the right call; stays true and is not influenced by undue interferences or threats.
 Acts promptly and with confidence when a situation requires a quick decision.
 Keeps composure during difficult times, in a crisis or under pressure; acts decisively to
resolve business issues.
 Promptly decides what activities and projects need to be done even though they may not be
easy or have popular support.
 Selects an appropriate response by seeing beyond the obvious and superficial through
steadied observation rather than emotion.

Level 4

Makes decisions in ambiguous or risky situations

 Makes and implements decisions where required information is incomplete, contradictory
and/or ambiguous.
 Makes a reasoned selection between methods, systems or procedures where guidelines are
broad.
 Implements ideas and approaches that are likely to add value, but that may not have a
favourable result.
 Makes decisions having significant consequences that are favourable for the organization,
consistent with NRC values and able to withstand public scrutiny.
 Puts systems in place to proactively monitor risks and determine acceptable risk tolerances.

Level 5

Makes sound strategic decisions in very ambiguous

situations using advanced techniques
 Makes decisions with significant consequences that are highly favourable for NRC and free
from political influence.
 Depicts impeccable judgement; takes educated risks and makes innovative and creative
decisions when pursuing and implementing new approaches and strategies.
 Makes and implements strategic decisions based on principles, values and sound business
arguments.
 Champions initiatives with significant potential paybacks, and possible adverse
consequences, based on an assessment of the risks and benefits, such as overall business
impact, etc.
 Integrates risk management into program/portfolio management and organizational
planning.
 Makes a reasoned decision between methods, systems or procedures where no guidelines
exist.
How to be Decisive
Few people understand the value of decisiveness. The ability to make quick decisions
not only lends you an air of confidence, intelligence and authority, it can also make the
difference between a positive and negative outcome in many situations. Some people
believe that they are just “naturally indecisiveness” which is decidedly not true.
Indecision, like every other behavior humans display, is simply a learned behavior.
When you take the time to understand where it comes from, and a few quick tips that
you can apply to head it off, then overcoming your indecision and becoming a confident,
strong-willed decision-maker is an easy thing to do.
Understanding Indecision
The root of indecision can be summed up in a single word: fear. An indecision person is
simply someone who is afraid to make a wrong choice. Why do we hesitate at a
crossroads? Because we’re afraid we’ll go the wrong way. Why do we agonize over
menu-selections at restaurants? Because we’re afraid we won’t pick the best thing, or
won’t like what we pick. Think about it, and you’ll find it applies to almost every situation
we can come up with. It is a psychologically proven fact, and research also shows that
the more options a person is presented with the more difficult it becomes to make a
decision.
There are two ways to get to the bottom of this fear and overcome indecision: faith and
confidence. On the one hand, you can look at in terms of eternal abundance and
positivity:
“No matter what I choose I’ll be fulfilled, and protected, and everything is always all
right."
Simply having faith is a powerful, profoundly life-altering practice that will likely apply to
more than just your decision-making. If that doesn’t happen to be your cup of tea, that’s
fine, just look at it like this:
“I’m not going to be right all the time, but I know that when I do make a wrong decision
I’ll be able to overcome it and accomplish my goals. I’ll also get the benefit of a valuable
learning experience, and the insight to make better decisions in the future.”
Establish a Model for Decision-Making
Once you understand why you’re indecisive, you’ll being to recognize it in yourself when
you’re called upon for decision-making. You’ll “feel” the doubt and worry operating just
below the surface that almost seems to paralyze you, and once you’re aware of it you
can overcome it. It helps to lay out some guidelines to help you make decisions quickly
beforehand, so when the time comes you’ll have something to reference and get the ball
rolling. This can be simple, such as:

1. Evaluate the sitation.

2. Evaluate the options.
3. Consider the consequences.
4. Do this in < 5 minutes.

Practice Making Quick Decisions

Obviously if you’re confronted with a very important decision it might not be the best time
to practice “speed deciding.” This is something I like to do with little things, such as at
the supermarket. If I have several options for a product, I’ll give them all a quick once
over and force myself to settle on one almost immediately so I avoid lingering and
agonizing. I also listen to my intuition a lot and go for whatever “feels” the most right.
Decision making is a highly learnable skill, and a very beneficial one to take the time and
master. You can build up your decisiveness in the ways described above (the last point
about quick decisions can be especially helpful if you’ve got a history of indecision) and
begin improving your abilities as soon as you choose.
Why Your Decisiveness Determines Your Career
March 12, 2015 By Paul Lyons Filed Under: Win That JobLeave a Comment
There is power in being decisive in the workplace. You quickly become a
leader, whether your title reflects it yet or not. People will naturally come to
you to problem-solve, seek advice and hear your thoughts because you
have the ability to weigh up the options, decide and get the job done. You
can’t help but take notice of decision makers.
But to be truly successful in the workplace you need more than an ability to
make decisions, you need the ability to make the best decisions. The
problem is in the workplace too many people focus on making the right
decisions. As noble as their intentions are, they waste time or stall in the
process.
The truth is we won’t always get it right, and often we won’t know what the
right decision is until after we act, but if you aim to make the best decision
you can with the time and information you have, you will at the very least
have gained more knowledge and a reputation for taking action.
So how do you improve your ability to make good decisions in the
workplace? Here are five tips to help you make the best decisions you can
quickly and confidently.

1. Be clear about the decision you need to make

When you know what decision you need to make and what you want
to achieve as a result of it, you become clearer on the choices you
have available and can easily identify which decision will achieve the
best outcome.

2. Become informed
In order to make a good decision you need to make sure you have the
information and facts you need. It could be that you need to find out
about any laws or regulations, get financial reports or documentation,
do further due diligence, read up about a particular subject or talk to a
co-worker or expert. Whatever the case may be, good decisions are
informed decisions.

3. Weigh up all of your options

Before you commit to a decision, write down all of the choices you
could make and the pros and cons of each. Ask yourself questions like
what are the benefits of going with each option? What are the
consequences? Who will be impacted? What benefits outweigh the
costs? Is there a decision I feel more comfortable with?
 Don’t neglect listening to your intuition when making a decision too,
remember our subconscious takes in far more information than we
can consciously process and it will often give us clues to help us in our
decision making.

4. Seek counsel
While we can often shy away from asking for help and advice, drawing
on the knowledge and experience of others is a sign of wisdom. The
key is in knowing who to ask and being mindful that each person will
bring their own opinion to the decision. Your role is not to blindly
follow, but to listen and make the decision you think is best.

5. Accept your decision

Once you have weighed up all of your options and made your
decision, move on. All too often we can suffer from decision-making
remorse where all of the ‘what-ifs’ and doubts come flooding in. Don’t
buy into them, instead accept that you made the best decision you
could at the time with the information you had.
If more information becomes available, or you realise you need to change
your mind then do it, we won’t always get it right. Take the learning into the
next decision you make and refine your decision making process if need
be.
How to Become More Decisive at Work

Moving forward in your workplace requires leadership qualities, including creativity and decision-making, which
go hand-in-hand. You must have confidence in yourself and your ideas in order to make them work. To waffle
back and forth about how to attack a problem renders you helpless-looking in front of your boss and coworkers.
To continue on your work journey, you must make sound and quick decisions and be prepared to take
responsibility for their outcomes, both good and bad.

Consider All Outcomes

One of the biggest weaknesses of decision making is moving forward without thinking the entire scenario
through. Each decision you make at work will have consequences and outcomes for which you need to prepare.
After you have decided on something and delegated the tasks involved, be prepared to answer questions as
other employees run into snags. A decision at work doesn't end with the decision itself. It ends with the final
product that results from that decision. Have a full plan that attacks any foreseeable problems, and you'll be able
to decide on the best routes more quickly and efficiently. You'll also be able to defend your plan from criticisms
with factual information, proving that you've invested a lot of thought into it.

Research and Connect

Flesh out your decision and its repercussions by researching other venues and businesses that have dealt with
the same issues. If you are still having trouble determining the right route to take, consult with your bosses,
coworkers and any other experts you have at your disposal. Remember, asking for help and input isn't weakness.
Your staff and coworkers will respect you and your decisions more if they know you are open to their ideas on the
topic. It's not about who is right the fastest. It's about pulling together to achieve the most given your business's
vehicle. A well-rounded decision is an easier decision to make, and you'll feel more confident laying out your
specific plan if you have the background to support your thoughts.

Go All In
Once you've determine the best path to take, do it with confidence and leadership. Don't waffle back and forth,
particularly in front of people. Open yourself to ways to amend the decision if something isn't working, but do not
falter before putting the basics into action. The consideration should take place before you've decided on any
action. Once you have decided, your team needs to believe in the plan and have confidence they are doing the
right thing. You can give that to them by being sure of yourself, and using your research and preparation to
deflect potential problems. Being decisive means putting a full effort into the decision you've made while
remaining open to compromise.

Accept Responsibility
The decision-making process does not end once you put the plan in motion. You must step up to the plate and
accept responsibility for the results your decision has wrought. This will earn you respect among your coworkers
even if your decision caused more problems than you anticipated. They will be more likely to continue to follow a
leader who owns up to faulty thinking and asks for help than they will someone who refuses to admit a mistake
and forces the issue to its original resolution without taking new information into consideration. On the other
hand, when your decisions that have been well thought-out and researched do well, you get to graciously accept
responsibility for those, too.
Decisiveness: Three Steps To Making a Decision
Making a decision can be tough, especially when it’s a business decision. You face an
almost infinite range of things that you could be doing in your business at any
particular moment.

You could choose to deal with a staff issue, a bank issue or a cash flow issue. You can
decide to focus on a new customer acquisition tactic or strategy, a new ad campaign
or an issue that has come up with a customer. You can choose to deal with
administrative details or you can choose to deal with personal and family issues that
so often seem to be intertwined with the business. Or you can choose to do any of
the other infinite possibilities that face you as a business owner.

For many business owners, this massive number of options can cause them to put off
making a decision. They fall into believing that if they can just gather more data and
consider more options, they may be struck with a flash of brilliance that will guide
them.

In most cases, the hoped-for flash of brilliance doesn’t materialize and you are
eventually forced into making a decision (i.e. payroll needs to get paid; the lease is
expiring this month; you need more sales, etc.).

When faced with the sudden pressure of making a decision, the decision that is made
is often a poor one. It ends up being based on a default position that is based on
ease rather than what is optimal for creating the results you want. There is a better
way.

Three Steps To Making a Decision

Avoid this situation by applying a proven three-step process:

1. Realize the staggering range of possible options facing you is usually perceived
rather than real.
2. Create a CVM (could versus must) chart.
3. Don’t look for a sports car when a minivan will do.

1.) Perceived Rather Than Actual Complexity

A lot of what masquerades as complexity is really only a natural reaction to a lack of
clarity. When you get right down to it, there are only four things you need to focus
on:

1. How many customers you have.

2. How often your customers buy from you.
3. How much you make each time they buy.
4. What activities you do to combine these other three things.

Everything else you think you need to deal with (all the other sources of perceived
complexity) are simply variations of the four things listed above.

2.) Create Your CVM (Could Versus Must) Chart

To focus your mind and effort even further when making a decision, you should do
your best to only focus on the thing(s) you must deal with at any particular point in
time.

An excellent way to do this is to create a CVM Chart. This a powerful way to examine
any current situation and identify the high impact things you really should be
focusing on.

To create a CVM Chart, take a blank sheet of paper and on the left hand side of the
page, list everything you can think about that you could do at this very moment in
your business. This is where you will generate a laundry list of things that play
around in the back of your mind. List them down and acknowledge them. It will get
them in front of you where you can deal with them.

Next, on the right hand side of the page, distill from your list of all the things you
could do into three things that you must do right now. Keep the four things from
step one above in mind as you identify these three things.

3.) Don’t Look For A Sports Car When A Minivan Will Do

I must admit that my heart races whenever I think about owning a sexy sports
car. The reality, however, is that as a father of four children, as sexy as that sports car
might be, it really wouldn’t be a good or useful solution for me.

You need to apply the same type of realistic mental discipline when you consider the
things you must do.

For example, don’t get caught up thinking you need to create an entirely new
product or service offering if you can get a sufficient boost in your financial results by
simply asking your existing customers to buy more from you.

Adopt this three-step process in your business any time you start feeling
overwhelmed by making a decision. You will feel more in control and you will make
better decisions.
Understanding Decisiveness
Decision making can sometimes be very challenging. It can be hard to make decisions when you're
dealing with uncertainty, complexity, and risk. Unfamiliarity and fear of consequences, known and
unknown, can also make decision making difficult.
The way individuals handle decisions can mean the difference between decisiveness and
procrastination. Typically, decisive individuals tend to possess three key character traits: realism, self-
confidence, and an orientation to action. The ability to balance optimism and pessimism helps them be
realistic. Self-confidence allows decisive people to make decisions with conviction. Being action
oriented helps them avoid procrastinating.
Individuals who are decisive enjoy some significant advantages over their less decisive counterparts.
They're able to save time, are less stressed, and are regarded positively by others.

Defining Objectives
One additional characteristic decisive people tend to share is that they're quite systematic. They
typically have some kind of process they follow to make decisions easier. You, too, can use an
effective four-step process to help you be decisive. The steps are to define the objective, create
options, assess options, and choose the best option.
The first step to take when making a decision is to define the objective of the decision. Ask yourself
what it is you want to achieve. This will help you focus your efforts.
At this point, you need to be clear about the issue you're making the decision about. The more you
know and understand the issue, the more likely you'll be to make an appropriate decision.
You can ask questions to determine if you're focusing on the right issue. An effective way to do this is
to ask "Why?" until you reach the point where asking "Why?" doesn't break the issue or problem
down any further.

Creating Options
Now that you understand the issue clearly, you can move on to step two – create options. Exploring
the issue to develop viable alternatives will help you make the best decision.
Consult with others to broaden your perspective on an issue and become aware of alternatives. You
may even find that you're able to combine some of the options.

Assessing Options
Once you're confident you've identified realistic options, you can move on to the third step – assess
options. Compare the options to the objective you defined in step one by determining a number of
factors.

1. risk – Uncertainty leads to risk. Analyze the risk associated with each option to
determine which option has the least risk, or perhaps more important, the most
manageable risk. Sometimes the deciding factor in risk is the cost to manage it – be
sure to determine this too.
2. implications – After analyzing the risks, evaluate the potential implications of each
option from various perspectives. This can help you uncover unexpected
consequences. You should also weigh the pros and cons of each choice.
3. feasibility – Once you've evaluated the implications, determine the financial
feasibility of each option. Assessing feasibility helps you understand which option
provides the most benefit for the least cost.
Choosing the Best Option
Now that you've assessed each option, it's time to choose the best one. Several actions can help you
perform the final evaluation. To begin, revisit the objective to make sure it's fresh and clear in your
mind.
Next, remain objective – be vigilant in making sure your personal biases don't influence your
thinking.
Finally, assign priority to key factors so you know which ones are most important to making a
successful decision.
Once you've thoroughly reviewed the options, choose the one that best meets the objective of the
decision. Look for the option that offers the best combination of manageable risk, implications, and
financial feasibility.
Being decisive can save you time, reduce stress, and reflect positively on you.
Decisiveness depends on the existence of three well-honed characteristics – being realistic, self-
confident, and action oriented.
A four-step process can be used to help make good decisions. The process involves defining the
objective, developing alternative solutions, assessing these options, and choosing the best option.