Decisions - What They Are And What They Are Not
According to the dictionary, the verb 'decide' means 'to determine, to end, to resolve, to settle and to make up one's mind', while the noun 'decision' is 'the act of settling, making up one's mind', etc. Someone in a position of power is said to be a 'decision-maker' and we refer to those who do make up their mind as 'resolute' or 'decisive'.
The Latin root of the word means to 'cut away'. This points to what a decision really is: to cut away the surrounding clutter, to enable one to see a path to an objective and, by taking a decision (or a series of decisions), to follow that path with all of its implications.
What it is not - A decision is not allowing events to take their course willy-nilly. If you did, an outcome would still occur - but one not influenced or decided upon with due regard to the surrounding circumstances. Such an outcome represents an inability or lack of desire to analyse and reach a conclusion; control has been surrendered. This might not matter - for example, when merely choosing what perfume to wear - but can be of major consequence where commercial or other vital decisions are required
Decision-making is about deliberately opting for one choice from two or more, proactively to optimise a situation or outcome and not let it happen by default.
It is also about trying to minimise the element of chance or risk in life, by taking decisions and actions that will influence the outcome in one's favour.
To sum up, decision-making is:
• The selection of an option over others (which could include no action)
• Under conditions that are uncertain
• Which exposes you to a risk
• In order to reach a specified goal, objective or outcome.
There must be a choice and it must be taken proactively, otherwise it is merely an occurrence.
Copyright © 2006 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved
Related Tags: leadership, management, decision making
Jonathan Farrington is the Managing Partner of The jfa Group thejfagroup.
His weekly blog giving dedicated sales professionals a voice is updated every Friday visit http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- A Few Of The Skills Of An A Successful Leader
Among the most important factors in determining the result of a group exercise of any style is the m - What Do Leaders Have In Common?
Who are "THEY"?"THEY" are all the top performers -- the best of the best. But what does it take to m - Lms Mentoring - More Fresh Ideas
Simple and effective LMS training on both managerial roles and staff mentoring strategies are a huge - Leadership Training in the 21st Century. How to Bring Your Leadership Training Up to Date
If you're reading this article, you're probably someone responsible for delivering an effective and - How to Create a Leadership Development Plan
HR leadership and executive leadership training both take a lot of practice and motivation. To becom - Six Secrets To Building Your Confidence
If you have seen the movie or stage musical The Sound of Music, you likely remember Maria leaving th - Six Ways To Defeat Complacency
Complacency - and its ill effects - is all around us.Consider politics. Democrats held one Senate se - Getting Back To The Basics Of Problem Solving
Everyone has problems. Big problems, little problems, work problems, relationship problems; pick an - Five Ways To Pick Your Best Development Tools
Personal development.Professional development.Leadership development.Regardless of which words you u - Market Leadership is Extremely Difficult - What You Need to Do to Succeed
Online marketing is becoming increasingly difficult to succeed in as a continuing marketer, nevermin
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Engaging The Five Senses
We were all born with five senses, each one helping us to make generalizations about the world. You - Power Inspires Your Audience
Power is intricately connected to persuasion in that it increases your ability to persuade, influenc - NLP A Personal Development Tool
Like many personal development innovations, NLP - which stands for neuro-linguistic programming - is - Team Building in Bristol
Many employers in Bristol take the vision of their companies very seriously. This is true whether it - Seven Ways to Improve the Results of Your Leadership Development Efforts
Every day we deal with a variety of matters of urgent importance in our organizations. Seldom is lea - Leadership In The Workplace As A Boss
Do you give your employees the type of leadership in the workplace that they come to expect? What is - Metal Detecting Is Also About Obedience
Are you purchasing a detector to use occasionally at a lake or beach? Or do you now find yourself wi - Get Courage and Build Unstoppable Strength!
What shape are your courage muscles in? Courage is our ability to act despite fear. What honestly ca - Why Most Leadership Development Efforts Fail
George was seen as an up-and-coming leader in the organization. People the worked for him liked and - Occam's Razor And Leadership
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided at