How To Make Calculated And Impactful Decisions

Great decision makers and zebras have a lot in common. It may not appear so at first, but they do.

Both are striking creatures and have earned their stripes. Yet neither comes fast to mind as being powerful until you see them in action.

Zebras and great decision makers may not be the fastest movers on the jungle floor, but they’re both faster than expected. Both are known for their endurance and agile, zigzagging approach to oncoming, predator-like problems eager to take them down.

Accomplished decision makers aren’t lightweights either. They scale up to take on any problem’s size, weight, scope and complexity.

Like zebras, powerful decision makers overcome threatening situations. They take down beastly problems and vanquish attacking glitches, hitches, snarls and snags with formidable kick-out solutions. Both win their battles by keeping their cool while attacking menacing issues from multiple perspectives and directions, all at the same time.

Overall, zebras are calculated and impactful, and your decision making process should be too if your solutions are to stand their ground. This decision model is inspired by Peter F. Drucker’s January 1967 article in the Harvard Business Review titled, "The Effective Decision."

Classify

Classifying a decision determines if the problem at hand is generic or specific. The question to ask in this leg of the process is: "Is what I’m seeing unique or is it a symptom of something else?"

If the nature of the problem is generic, then an established rule, tenant or regulation can be applied. If, on the other hand, the issue is determined to be unique, then a specific set of applications need to be implemented.

Generic issues have a frequency. They reoccur, although the pattern may not yet be revealed and known. Specific issues are unique. They don’t repeat and, therefore, they are naturally extraordinary.

In both generic and specific decisions, root cause needs to be uncovered and identified.

Define

Defining a decision describes or outlines the problem at hand. The question to ask in this leg of the process is: "What is this really about?"

This leg of the process is tricky. In most cases, the above question will need to be asked over and over again and, each time, compared against the facts at hand.

Often, new facts will emerge when the practice of questioning has integrity, consistency and rigor to it. Slightly varying how you phrase your questions will help ensure your investigation goes deep while staying on track. Supporting questions in this leg can be:

1. What’s really happening here?

2. What is most relevant here?

3. Are these facts the most pertinent ones or are others still needed?

4. What else is key to this situation?

Again, as new questions are posed, answers should be checked against the facts.

Specify

Specifying a decision determines the boundary field or conditions around the problem. The question to ask in this leg of the process is: "What requirements does the decision have to satisfy in order to accomplish its goal?"

Other helpful questions that can be asked in this leg are:

1. What has to be satisfied for this decision to be effective?

2. What is the impact we want this decision to have?

3. What are the minimum critical goals this decision must achieve?

Setting clear boundaries around your decisions will make it easier to know when and at what point your decision has been successfully realized or when it needs to be abandoned because it has gone out of bounds. When boundaries shift, conditions, goals and actions will need to shift appropriately as well.

Act And Certify

Acting and certifying a decision is what brings your decision to life. It operationalizes it. It’s action-focused and visible — you can see it. In this leg of the process, the value shifts from systemic thinking to extrinsic doing.

The question to ask in this leg of the process is: "What are the critical activities we need to rely on, to get what we want when we want it?"

Supporting questions here will be:

1. What’s needed across who, by when?

2. What are the specific actions we would need to take in order to fail? Pivot your list and make sure you avoid each action.

A fundamental principle of this model is that a decision isn’t complete until it is acted upon. And acting means communicating, measuring and certifying. A decision without action is just a good intention. Decisions without actions and certifications are high risks games, like playing games of roulette.

Never undervalue the time this leg of the decision making process takes. Don’t kid yourself. Making your decision is not nearly as time-consuming as putting it into action. Why? Because for activities to work, they must not only be relevant but also tied to right behaviors and motivators. They give decisions their "kicking" power.

Effective decisions value impact over complexity and exhaustive logic over glitzy innovation. A valuable decision knows what it needs to be based on and has the business case to prove it.

Effective decision makers are like zebras. They earn their stripes. They’re known to be strikingly powerful, enduring, agile and swift creatures.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/09/26/how-to-make-calculated-and-impactful-decisions/