The Fine Art of Decision Making

Make things happen by making the right calls!

Damon Lundqvist

• Publisher: JNR Publishing nkb
• eBook ISBN: 9781311971661
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Theory & Practice

(excerpt) At the very heart of being a great and effective leader is the mastery of an invaluable and necessary skill: making sound judgment calls which result in beneficial decisions. Without practicing and perfecting this ability, the one in the leadership position will never realize his or her full potential in the position they are in, or in any position above it. Leaders who play an integral and productive role as they stand are able to remain calm, keep their thoughts in order, and push any temptation to react with emotion aside. They are able to make a quality decision under pressure and in the face of questionable circumstances without doubting themselves or second-guessing the choice they make. They remain consistently constant, even when the situation being dealt with appears to be nothing but chaos. They observe, assess, decide, and follow through to the end. When taking leadership and decisions into joint consideration, it is easy to notice the fact that there are those in positions of authority who simply do not possess the skills it takes to make effective judgments and choices. On the flip side, others seem to not only make decisions with ease, they do it well, applying wisdom, considering the potential outcomes, and acting accordingly. A leader of quality has already mapped out his life and career strategy, and is working at it consistently. They are prepared to handle the dilemmas which present themselves, and they have practiced using a calm affect to their advantage. They have designed a solidified a blue print and are applying methods daily to stay within the structure intended.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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The Art of Making Superior Judgment Calls
Aspect I: Sources
Educated Knowledge of Stakeholders
Draw in Members of the Board for Training & Workshops
Contribute to your Community while Conducting Business
Consider Human and Environmental Capital
Get your Council in on the Action
Training Academies and Seminars
External & Internal Stakeholder Council
Groups in the Community
Customers or Clients
Groups with Special Interest
Supply Providers
Agencies which Establish and set Regulations
Those Partnering Corporately
Associations with other Industries
Those with Investment Interests
Union Organizations
Aspect 2: Time
Step 1: Preparation
Step II: Making the Call
Step III: The Follow Through
You must have Exceptional Integrity & Profound Courage
The Use of Visualization when making Decisions
You will Encounter "Re-dos"
Aspect III: Area of Domain
Strategic Judgment Calls
Tell a Great Story
Where are we at now?
Where do we want to go?
What method of transportation are we using to get there?
Be "Teachable"
Gather information
Decide
Follow through
Step One: Gathering Information
Step Two: Decide
Step Three: Follow Through
Strategies for use with Individuals
Emotions
People carry around what is said to them
Human Dynamics
Preparation when dealing with people
Decide on the call you are making
Follow through
Making Decisions during Crises
Commit to use the crisis for good.
Have a team ready.
Keep a teachable perspective and have a story ready to go

Chapter Aspect III: Area of Domain

The way a leader communicates and interacts with those above, under, and around him or her is vital to making successful calls. Some of the most important decisions you will make while in a role of leadership will require that you possess quality communication skills in abundance.

There are three main areas which require calls to be made by the appropriate leader. They include judgments regarding strategy, judgments about individuals, and calls which need to be made in a state of emergency or during crises. Here we will discuss each in more detail, breaking each down a bit for you; read on.

Chapter Strategic Judgment Calls

Decisions which apply to strategy directly affect the future of your company or organization. You will need two basic skills if you want to be a leader who makes groundbreaking calls in this area.

Chapter Tell a Great Story

Develop your ability to use narrative to bring others into line with you and your vision. You want your team working together, and telling a good story enables others to see your vision from their perspective. Good stories need to include the following:

Chapter Where are we at now?

Identify the present situation and the circumstances involved.

Chapter Where do we want to go?

Identify and clearly state the goal; you want everyone working on this to have the same interest in mind in order to properly focus.

Chapter What method of transportation are we using to get there?

Now it is time to identify the steps necessary to reach your destination. Who does what and when is going to be an important part of this procedure. It is important to involve your team in this process, particularly those who have a history of being productive contributors and have demonstrated impressive brainstorming abilities.

Basically, an effective story will take the situation at hand and break it down for those involved. Implement detail and get their visual juices flowing. This will put all of you not only on the same page, but you will actually be reading the same book! It will lead you in making the right decisions for the days to come.

Chapter Be “Teachable”

It is imperative that you maintain a perspective that is objective and capable of being taught new ideas. Nothing that mankind has learned and aimed for did not come through the bending of an immovable mindset before it was over. Keeping an open mind is a secret weapon, so to speak, when it comes to going with the flow and continuing to make judgment calls that are appropriate and beneficial.

Judgments which involve strategy that has been built on a solid foundation are typically a beautiful marriage of a teachable perspective and a creative narrative. The leader is able to strongly outline ideal opportunities, which in turn nourishes the team he or she is working with; strong judgment calls and consistent follow through are the inevitable results.

Quality decisions which are based on planned strategy should follow the process below to provide the most benefit:

Chapter Gather information

Prepare, prepare, prepare!

Chapter Decide

Now is time for the call; make a choice and do it firmly.

Chapter Follow through

You must begin to take the necessary steps to reach the end result your call was tailored to provide. You must take each and every step with persistence.

Here we will use an example of a mass retailer who was forced to reassess the way things were being done in the company due to competition. Judgment calls needed to be made if the company wanted to thrive, and it was imperative that a plan of action be taken to do this effectively. The three steps discussed above were implemented by this company in the following manner:

Step One: Gathering Information

After a new CEO was appointed to oversee the company, share prices took a plunge. Other major retailers were posing much more of a competitive threat to this company, which aimed their focus primarily on electronic goods.

The new CEO went to those in Seni...

Table of contents

• Chapter The Art of Making Superior Judgment Calls
• Chapter Aspect I: Sources
• Chapter Aspect 2: Time
• Chapter Aspect III: Area of Domain
• Bonus-Sample Chapters of the book:
• Crucial Aspect Recognition and Identification