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We all have made mistakes at work before, and most of them are minor ones that we tend to make instinctively. But the majority of the decisions that we make throughout the day at work can lead to serious outcomes. In the end, our choices will affect our health, safety, relationships, time and overall well-being. The simplest way to develop good decision-making is to adjust our mindset. Before making a decision, here are the things worth considering:
1. Weigh Your Choices
We need to understand why we made the decision we made. Keep in mind that this is not the time to think of excuses for why it happened; this is the time to understand why it happened so that we can avoid making similar decisions in the future. One must reflect on one’s inner self to ask what can be fixed or altered now. Weigh the choices and think about what you can do in the future to make sure you don’t find yourself making the same decisions.
2. Emotions
Good decisions are not made in times of panic or due to bad emotions. Rushing into any decision is risky, but rushing to a bad decision to another is the riskiest behaviour of all. We often see businesses and lives ruined by impulsive behaviour. Perhaps you are not in the best of mood at that time yet. Try to resist the urge to respond to people or making decisions while in an emotional state. The easiest way is to take a step back and walk away from the situation until the mind is clear and calm.
3. Multi-tasking
Trying to manage two or more tasks at the same time can cause poor decision making. It also reduces the efficiency and performance as the brain can only do so much to focus on one thing at a time. When it comes to making important decisions, manage time and commit to working on a single task at a time with full concentration instead of doing the former.
4. Lack of input
At work meetings, there will always be people who are reluctant to speak until they determine what they want to say. Under certain circumstances, these people have the best ideas to contribute since they spend time in a deep thought process. To balance this behaviour, it is best to inform the agenda of the meeting a day in advance. This would give everyone the time to formulate their ideas and contributions before the meeting.
5. Constant information and communication flow
We spend our time in a continuous state of distraction from information and communication flow. As we struggle to focus despite the unprecedented convenience, it is best to find time to unplug and step back from the technology. It won’t be easy to pull off, but it’s possible by making it a priority to put aside any news, social media, email and various lines of digital information.
6. Decision fatigue
Any individual engaged in a lengthy decision-making process will gradually lead to decision-making fatigue. The quality of decision-making is going to get worse, as our ability to perform mental tasks wears out when it’s overexerted. To mitigate this, it is best to prioritise which choices are of the utmost significance. Prioritising time will also be crucial to ensure that energy levels are at their highest levels, especially at work. If you are looking to improve your decision-making skills, a diagram such as a decision tree can be useful in mapping out the course of action and the potential outcomes.
How do you overcome making bad choices at work? Leave us your thoughts on the comment sections below. Follow us for more daily career insights and new hirings to land your dream job. Head over to Jobstore.com and unveil your next job opportunity.
You Jing is a content writer who writes career and lifestyle contents to inspire job seekers and employers alike on their journey to work-life balance, empowerment and transformation in their career path.
Reach me at youjing@jobstore.com