What Can You Do In Though Times

What is the best things that companies can do in tough times? Solve problem effectively and make better decisions.

How? By helping managers and executives become better at these two core competencies. Problem solving & decision making are key roles for any manager or executives. Surprisingly many people struggle when it comes to taking decisions. This might be due to fear of failure, lack of a structured approach, procrastinating, lack of clarity, etc

Whatever the barriers, here are tips to follow when taking any decision.

1. Problem Definition
Before you can start to take any decisions, you need to be absolutely clear the problem you are trying to reach a decision on. One simple technique is just to write out in a sentence what the problem is that you need to take a decision on.

2. Assess the implications
All decisions have implications. If it is a decision at work, it has implications for you, your peers, your team and your superiors. Depending on the decision (e.g. a promotion at work) it may even have implications for your family, especially if it involves relocation.

3. Explore different perspectives
Perspectives are simply different lenses through which you look at the problem. By exploring different perspectives you start to get a feel for those that you are most attracted to.

4. Get clear on your ideal outcome
When you are faced with a big decision, it is easy to get lost in the detail and circumstances. An alternative is to get clear on your ideal outcome and use this ideal outcome to inform your choices. Imagine you aspire to be a CFO of a Top 100 company. By having clarity on your outcome, you can make choices on promotions and experience linked to this ideal outcome.

5. Weigh up pros and cons
Another way of looking at a decision is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of the options open to you. Simply listing the advantages and disadvantages of each option is a powerful way of moving forward on decisions.

6. Decide and act
Once you have gone through the previous 5 steps, commit to a choice or course of action and start to make it happen.