Understanding the Five Characteristics of Effective Decision Making

Paying careful attention to these characteristics throughout the decision-making process can be difficult and time-consuming.

Research suggests decisions that include these five process characteristics have sharply improved the odds of being successful:

Multiple Alternatives. Generally, successful decisions result from a review of many alternative solutions. As your process unfolds, make sure that your group considers several alternatives before making its decision. The point-counterpoint approach is a useful method to ensure that at least two alternatives are considered. Remember, a go/no-go choice involves only one alternative.

Open Debate. To generate creative alternatives, you need to facilitate open, constructive debate. Strive to create an environment that supports inquiry-based discussions. Ask open ended and hypothetical questions to encourage your group to explore a variety of possibilities. Listen attentively to your team’s suggestions, and emphasize positive group dynamics. Debate should be task related, not emotional or personal. Make adjustments to your approach if the group is not working well together. Silence and suppressed arguments are both signs that the debate is not sufficiently robust.

Assumption testing. It is unlikely that you will have complete information at the time you make assumptions as it proceeds. Make sure that your team recognizes when it is relying on facts and when it is making assumptions. Further, the team needs to recognize which of those assumptions are closely tied to confirmed data, and which are not. The group may still choose to use untested assumptions in its decision-making process, but should reconsider the plausibility of these assumptions throughout the process.

Well-defined objectives. Continually review your objectives during your meetings to ensure that your discussions stay on target. If conditions change, you may need to refine your objectives or even your definition of the problem to meet the new conditions. However, don’t let your objectives shift solely because of time pressure or a rush to reach agreement.

Perceived fairness. Keeping people involved throughout the process is critical to the success of your decision. Your team members must feel that their ideas are being considered during the process in order to feel a sense of ownership over the final decision. Periodically evaluate the level of participation of your team members, such as after a milestone. If people have stopped participating in conversation or are doing so reluctantly, they may be dissatisfied with the process. Your job is to keep people engaged by acknowledging your team member’s suggestions and helping them understand why another alternative may be a better decision.

ACTION POINT: Paying careful attention to these characteristics throughout the decision-making process can be difficult and time-consuming. Making the effort to include them, however, gives your decision a much better chance of success.