Decision making
- October 13, 2017
- Posted by: MAYURI
- Category: Articles
Decision making
This is considered an important aspect of independence and power. If we have decision making power, that will enhance our status in our own eyes as well as the others. No doubt. Everyone therefore craves decision making power.
- Children envy parents for the power they hold on them
- Wives envy husbands for this power
- Women in general envy men for holding this power
- Subordinates envy bosses for the same
- People curse governments for the same reason.
Persons in decision making positions in general have a problem to meet these criteria. We see very interesting people in decision making seats in our life.
- Those who take decisions but have no clue how to implement them
- Those who know how to implement but will expect the others to discover and not offer any help
- Those who love the power but make completely inappropriate decisions since they are incapable of anything better
- Those who make decisions but have no courage to stand by them or defend them
- Those who make decisions but being unsure are willing to abandon them
- Then there are those who see this power as a burden and involve everyone to arrive at a decision.
- Finally there are those who deny having taken the decision when a crisis happens!
When in a decision making status, life is not easy for anyone. A senior professor from a reputed university once said to me ‘why do we crave for decision making power? I have had to take all decisions all my life and it is very burdensome. Please take away this power and simply you tell me what to do’.
How poignant is that!!
Not having decision making power is sometimes good for us
- We are overall held less responsible for things that happen
- We can easily blame others
- We are stress free, somebody else will have to answer
- We can be obedient servants; do what is asked of us
What entails decision making power? If effective, appreciative and positive impacts have to be achieved, persons with decision making power must have the following traits
- Intelligence to weigh all options thoroughly before deciding
- Keeping the welfare of all concerned before making decisions
- Weighing whether the decisions can be implemented with reasonable comfort for all
- Weighing the after effects of the decisions, both short term and long term
- If pain is involved, whether it is worth the long term benefits
- Must have traits such as patience, courage, conviction, ability to quickly change course if necessary, vocabulary to defend oneself, leadership, and a sense of responsibility, ability to take stress
- Patience to see though the complete process with its ups and downs
- Courage and conviction to be able to defend the decision and not waver when severe criticism piles up
- Change course- must have the ability to change course and give a different direction to the action if things are falling apart, without sacrificing the decisions taken
- Vocabulary to defend ones decisions; often persons in this positions are openly questioned and they need to be able to defend with strong words and intense ideas about the positives outcomes of their decisions
- Leadership- it goes without saying that decision makers most often also have the duty to get down to work or get it done effectively. Without leadership qualities this is impossible to achieve
- Responsibility – if you have made the decision, you are responsible for its implementation as well as outcomes. No escaping there. Seeing it through to the positive end is your responsibility
- Take stress – all this is stressful. Decision making power goes hand in hand with stress of high order. Being able to handle that is critical.
So, think hard… do we want decision making power all the time? Or we will be reasonably happy with opportunity to decide on few things in life and leave the big ones to others more willing to swim in the turbulent sea!
Very well said. Each point depicted in this article is 100 percent correct. I compared all these points with my real life incidents and realized how stress free it would have been if if I have not made any decision
Gud evg madam. Ur article has touched two important things .one is being in a decision making status and another having decision mkg power. Many times both will not coincide in a single person. Definition for a good decision is relative i feel . It is really hard to be a perfect decision maker. Not all the decidions are taken to solve a problem or issues. Few r taken to satisfy indiv ego. It is a myth to thk that evy one satisfies with our decisions both in personal and professional front. But madam u hav rightly enlisted all the qualities required for a good decsion maker .
You are right about some decisions being taken to satisfy ego. they are the worst of all.
Very interesting article mam
Good elaborative article. Everyone has to go through the decision making cycle in the life. Good decision experience may come through some bad decisions as well. But you keep deciding and get polished. There is always a conflict between ‘choice’ and ‘decision’. Finally you are the resultant bundle of those choices and decisions!
Thank you Ramu. I have always wondered about people dire need to make all decisions. So this write up
wonderful article madam. Everyone wants to take decisions. But rarely are committed towards the responsibilities that decision brings. I have always wondered looking at the people wanting to make decisions for others and want others to adhere to those decisions. I feel the Indian culture gives us wonderful opportunity to take decisions when we need and just allow elders to take those decisions which we feel we are not sure. Whatsoever decision making is a great skill . Only those who dare can enjoy it.