8 Tips to Improve Decision-Making Skills

Improving employees’ decision-making skills is crucial to the success of employees, team members, managers, and the organization! The average adult makes 35,000 decisions a day, according to Psychology Today. Snooze for nine more minutes or call in sick for a mental health day; pitch a new idea in a weekly update meeting or be silent; make a job offer to candidate A or B; challenge a supplier on their poor service or let it slide. And so on. With countless decisions a day, there’s always room to improve decision-making skills. 

What is effective decision-making?  

Decision-making is a process. Sometimes the process takes months and sometimes it happens in an instant. It can involve gathering available information, weighing different options, and ultimately choosing. Effective decision-making ties back to meeting the business objectives. Decision-making is a part of the job. 

Some decisions are smaller choices with a quick thought process. Others are big, critical decisions with long-term effects. Employees’ ability to make sound, timely decisions will impact managers’ ability to lead, manage, and be productive. Not everyone has the same level of decision-making abilities, but they can be sharpened with proper training.  

“You cannot make progress without making decisions.” - Jim Rohn, entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker

Consider the important decision to wear or not to wear safety glasses or PPE. It feels like a small choice but can end up having long-term consequences. HSI’s blog post "The Importance of Safety Training: It Saves Lives" tells the story of a construction worker who was given a lanyard and safety glasses to wear. The worker was warned multiple times to wear their PPE. They ignored the warnings and got fire-proofing spray in their eyes after drilling into a ceiling. Luckily, the worker’s incident was quickly resolved by the eyewash in the onsite first-aid kit and with the help of co-workers. However, the individual lost their job due to their bad decision. 

Think about the complex decision-making process when launching a new product or service. How do employees make the right decision along the way, especially when there may be numerous team members making concurrent and contingent decisions? What is the thought process in choosing or excluding key features, assigning roles, quality testing, launch plan, etc.? How do employees weigh all the possible solutions? Can the right project management software help the employee make the best decision? 

Not being able to make a decision can even cause work-life balance issues. Take the scenario where an employee receives a call from a distraught friend upset about an issue at their own job. The first thing they say is, “I wish my boss would make up their mind.” This obviously is affecting the friend’s work-life balance.  

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” - Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States 

Indecision may inhibit progress, productivity, and employees’ well-being. Employees can spend a lot of time wavering, hesitating, and avoiding difficult decisions. Effective decision-making is a soft skill that can be developed and improved through training. 

These tips may help employees become stronger decision-makers. 

Tip #1: Set a time limit 

When making good decisions, it’s best to prioritize and set a time limit. Establish a deadline. Have a goal mindset when setting priorities. Without a deadline, it is easy to keep procrastinating and miss a key milestone. While it’s important to reach the best possible solution, remember not to strive for perfection. Sometimes it’s ok to be “good enough.” 

Where does an employee even start when they're overwhelmed with projects or tasks? What should their first step be? Understanding how to prioritize tasks will help employees make the right choice. For example, which should they do first? Preparing a budget report for their manager or writing a performance review? Both have the same due date or time limit, but the budget report needs to be approved by their manager, so do that first. Then, while they work on the performance review, their manager can review the budget and now they’re accomplishing two tasks at the same time. 

Tip #2: Gather information 

To make an informed decision, gathering relevant information is a crucial step. This step helps answer or confirm any questions they may have. It also reduces uncertainty and gives them the confidence to make good decisions. 

Research should reflect trustworthy, reliable sources. Always consider the validity of the information and look at the source for any biases. Do they have anything to gain? Is the source credible? Are they a trusted news source? Is this a first-hand account of someone they trust? Is this available data recent? 

Look for varying viewpoints. It pays to understand different perspectives from co-workers and internal subject matter experts. Be an active listener. This not only means paying close attention but also asking questions. 

Tip #3: Decipher facts vs. opinions 

When making good decisions, it is best to consider facts and opinions, as both are valid. For example, if someone has 20 years of experience, they’ve seen it all. Their past experiences speak volumes. Team members can learn from their mistakes through storytelling. Their opinion may not be a fact, but it may prove invaluable when trying to reach effective, sound decisions. 

Here’s a story of an employee hiring a small startup printing company as a company vendor. They were more affordable and nimbler compared to bigger, more established vendors. The organization would be their key client so they thought they would receive outstanding customer service. Unfortunately, the printer did not have the right processes in place for the support needed. The buyer made a bad decision based upon an assumption and cost the company money. Yes, the vendor was cheaper and nimbler. However, the buyer should have talked with others in the industry and asked for their opinions on various vendors. 

“Seeing the truth is a significant advantage for decision making under pressure.” - Francis P. Karam, state and federal trial lawyer who won cases with settlements as high as $120 million 

Tip #4: Weigh pros and cons 

Psychological research shows the human brain has difficulty weighing the pros and cons. We aren’t built to be rational and often have internal biases. Seeing the big picture is imperative. It is important that you are spending time analyzing both the benefits and potential risks to understand what the decision could mean. The pros reflect the possible benefits of the decision, and the cons highlight the negative impact and potential risks.  

This is especially true in making strategic decisions that require careful consideration and a successful outcome. Making a pros and cons list may help. Systematically weighing the pros and cons of each option can help employees avoid cognitive biases. Think about the hiring process. People tend to choose candidates who remind them of themselves (affinity bias) or who think like they do (confirmation bias). 

Playing board games, like chess, the opponent must think two moves ahead. In the business world, employees can do the same. Their decisions can affect other team members, processes, goals, and company profits and losses. 

Tip #5: Focus on the desired outcome 

Some decisions relate to solving a problem. A supplier cannot get the materials on their desired timeline. What do they do? Find a new supplier? Change their timeline? An employee arrives at a trade show to set up their booth and finds an important booth component missing. What do they do? The sooner they focus on the best outcome and not on the problem the sooner the decision will be behind them. 

Some decisions result in response to changes, threats, or challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is a notable example. Some restaurant owners were not able to pivot and respond to the challenges at hand and they went out of business. Others focused on a creative positive outcome. They designed online ordering systems, carryout processes, and outdoor seating areas. They embraced social media to promote online ordering and shared pictures of their food and carryout stations. Some even installed drive-up windows. 

Tip #6: Trust your inner voice 

When making decisions, especially smaller or faster decisions, trusting your gut instinct can be best. If employees start overthinking, they should let their subconscious go to work. Take a break, doodle, or go for a walk...the inner voice is a quick and powerful force! Do not let fear of making the wrong decision stand in the way of moving forward. 

This story illustrates this point. An internal client created a new offering for a new audience. They had completed buyers' research and agreed on the messaging. The last step was to create a brochure. Her internal client was a VP and for some unknown reason, would not approve the brochure. The decision process went on for months. The VP’s inner voice must have been tongue-tied. 

Empower employees to be comfortable making decisions and knowing when to escalate. The best way to do this is to set boundaries. Employees should know when they can use their own problem-solving skills and what situation needs higher approval. Empowering employees builds confidence. They feel more invested in their work and can own their part in the success of the company. 

“Truly successful decision-making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking.” - Malcolm Gladwell, journalist, author, and public speaker 

Tip #7: Be flexible 

Sometimes a decision means compromising. To make timely decisions, it is important to know when to be flexible and compromise. Employees should not preoccupy themselves with their preferences but work together to reach a win/win decision. Sometimes they must just go with it and keep moving! 

Companies involved in mergers and acquisitions experience compromise every day. Over the last few years, HSI has acquired many companies. HSI is blending its approach to marketing, sharing best practices, and changing processes. Every day decisions are being made with a new perspective. It’s an exercise in flexibility, openness, and becoming a better decision-maker. 

Tip #8: Take decision-making training 

Why is decision-making training so important? Poor decisions can cost companies billions of dollars. Remember General Motors Co.’s decision to continue to manufacture large vehicles? They made this decision even though the market was trending toward smaller cars. This bad decision led to GM’s bankruptcy in 2009. The U.S. government assisted with the bailout. No one wants their company’s name to be included in the worst business decisions of all time. 

First responders must make split-second decisions every day. (By the way, HSI offers CPR, AED, and First Aid and Active Shooter Training.) Employees, too, may need to make split-second decisions to help a co-worker in medical need. For example, a colleague falls to the floor at work. Fortunately, another employee had recently taken first aid training and helped them. How many employees know how to act without proper training? In these situations, training is a crucial step. There is not much time to gather information, weigh the pros and cons, etc. This is a split-second decision! 

Crisis management training gives employees a plan for when and if they encounter a pressing situation. It also helps with progress, productivity, and the mental well-being of employees. They can spend a large amount of time wavering, hesitating, and avoiding decisions. A combination of training, mentoring, and empowerment can help employees at any level. 

For instance, an employee in a leadership position at one of the largest organizations in the world shared with a friend that the company’s number one problem is no one will make a final decision! This is a classic case of analysis paralysis. They also said they do not use an external training company. This can be a missed opportunity as off-the-shelf training can offer fresh perspectives and be immediately deployed. This is also a great chance to strengthen leadership skills, such as communicating with emotional intelligence. 

HSI Blue Ocean Brain Can Help 

 HSI Blue Ocean Brain's employee training library goes beyond safety and compliance courses. Team members have on-demand access to content to improve decision-making skills and many other soft skills.  

 Many of HSI Blue Ocean Brain's customers open their training library for employee self-directed learning. This allows them to learn and grow in their careers. Our decision-making series is part of the Business Skills library and includes: 

• Facts vs. Opinions 
• Trusting Your Intuition  
• Gathering Informaton 
• Decision-Making Styles 
• Making Group Decisions
• Decision-Making Models 
• Understanding Motivation
• Empowering Employee Decisions

If companies want to curate a full curriculum on decision-making, our Business Skills library includes many related video and content-based courses like: 

• SMART Goals
• Active Listening 
• Problem Solving 
• Strategic Thinking 
• Time Management 
• Ethics for Everyone 
• Agility and Flexibility 
• Compromise vs. Cave 
• Project Management 
• Prioritization Techniques 
• Critical Thinking and Common Sense 
• Fast Decision-Making What Should We Do? 
• And more...

Employees can quickly find these topics and assign them to their employees. This is an effective way to learn essential skills and build employees’ confidence to make better decisions. Make the right decision and contact us for a consultation. 

We also offer training on CPR, AED, and First Aid, and Active Shooter Training to empower employees to make the best decisions in an urgent moment of need. 

“Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.” - Keri Russell, actress