Decisions are part of both our private and professional life. However how do you know you are making the best decisions and if your decisions are delivering to you the best outcomes?
Ultimately whether you make a decision or not, you are making a decision as no decision is also ultimately a decision. Sometimes we need to review the best processes for making decisions and whether we should be using our heads, our hearts or a combination of both to make good decisions. To answer these questions 99FM’s MYD Smart asked Business, Leadership and Life Coach Herbert Mtowo , to enlighten us on decision making processes.
99FM’s MYD Smart asked :
How does a person make the best decisions?
“We are all faced with situations whereby we have to make decisions. The decision making process is a lifelong experience . It requires tact, skill and wisdom to be able to make good decisions. With decision making there is more than one option or choice, offer or put on the table.”
“There is need to widely consult, before making a decision and look at the negative and positive of the options available. If the decision is career related, one has to look at factors like growth and improvement.”
“My advice to make the best decisions is that we need to look at the following:
Personal fulfillment
Does the decision bring you personal fulfillment, development and is it helping you achieve your personal goals?
Identity
The need for identity in a decision making process cannot be over emphasized. Know exactly what you want out of the situation and what you want to do.
Emotional stability
When you are in a bad state emotionally, rather wait because chances are you will make poor decisions. Also do not make a decision when you are angry. It is imperative to make sure, that you are in a good state of mind to make the best decision. This allows us to process information better.
Gather the Facts
Once you have gathered all the facts you need to decide what is relevant to the issue. Make sure all important and necessary information has been laid down.
Smart decision makers look at all the alternatives and then decide. Do they always make the right decision? No, of course not but at least that decision is theirs and no one else’s.
Should you listen to your head or your heart when making decisions?
“I have always told people that it is important to be able to listen to your heart to check whether your feelings are real, but at the same time listen to what your head is saying before you making a possibly bad decision.”
“The gut feeling is always linked to the heart, many a times I have heard people say, “I wish I had listened to my heart rather than my head.” The head is sometimes too crowded to think clearly. So, I would advise to listen to the heart more often than the head.”
What helps you to know you are making the right decision?
“I learnt to listen to my gut feeling. I have found out that it has never led me astray. Some of the signs that you are making the right decision are:
• Peace of heart.
• You are content and not in doubt
• Results on the ground are positive
• Confirmations of good results
“One can always check and confirm whether they have made the right decisions.”
What are the tips to help us know that we have made the right decisions?
“You can ask yourself the following questions:
- Does this decision improve (strengthen me) me or destroy (weaken me) me from who I was before making this decision?
- Do I feel a sense of positivity or do I feel heavy, weighted down or negative about the decision?
- What were my motives for making the decisions (did I make this decision out of fear, desperation or frustration)?
You can get in touch with Coach Herbert via his Facebook Page here : Coach Herbert
Or via his website by clicking here : Coach Herbert