Our lives are the products of our decisions. If we make good decisions, we’ll prosper. So how can we be sure that we’re making good decisions?
It’s a lot like making a casserole: You find a good recipe and you follow it. Just as haphazard procedures won’t guarantee good casseroles, so haphazard decisions won’t guarantee that you’ll reach your goals in life.
The Xerox Corporation, as part of its quality improvement process, came up with this six-step process for making decisions that move you toward your goals:
Step 1: Identify the Issue
First decide what issues you need to address if you’re to move on to your next goal. Then narrow the list down to the issue that must be addressed before you can take the next step. Make that the next issue on your agenda.
Step 2: Analyze the Issue
Look at the issue from all angles. Why is it necessary to make a decision on this issue? What will happen if you don’t make it? What do you want to happen as a result of the decision? What stands in the way of making this happen? List the obstacles that must be overcome to implement the decision. Then rank them in the order in which they must be overcome.
Step 3: Generate Alternatives
Take the obstacles one at a time and list possible ways to remove them. Brainstorm the subject with others to provide you with a good inventory of alternatives you consider the most likely to work.
Step 4: Select A Specific Alternative
Take the short list and decide which criteria you will use to select the best decision. Analyze the alternatives in the light of your criteria, and choose the one that matches them the closest. Describe the actions you must take to implement the decision and the results you expect to accomplish as a result.
Step 5: Implement the Decision
Execute the actions you described in Step 4.
Step 6: Evaluate the Results
Now examine the results in the light of your expectations. Did the decision accomplish what you wanted it to accomplish? If so, mark it accomplished and move on to the next issue. If not, repeat the process, starting with Step 1.
If you follow these procedures, you will continually learn from your mistakes and build on your successes. You will be able to observe and measure your progress, and savor the moment when you achieve the future you planned for.
Dr. Nido Qubein is an international speaker and accomplished author on sales, communication, and leadership. He is president of High Point University which has an enrollment of more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students. He is also chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company with 220 stores in 41 states.
