5 Steps to Making Big Decisions

Marcianne Kuethen

January 7, 2013

Whenever our family plans to eat out and the decision is up to me, I usually throw out several options. This is not just because I’m trying to consider others’ feelings–it’s also because I’m indecisive! Is my favorite food tacos, lasagna, or a giant Santa Fe salad?

Unlike a simple restaurant choice, making a workplace decision obviously has far more serious ramifications that impact your entire organization. And often, choices must be made without all the information you’d ideally like to have. Rajat Taneja, a CTO, offers a practical 5-step process for making decisions, even in the face of uncertainty. His step #2 is my favorite:

Encourage dissenting points of view: Everybody has a set of experiences that inform their decision making. It’s the muscle memory they rely on when confronted with a big choice. I find this method dangerous because you can risk only listening to those arguments that support your predisposed points of view whereas you need diverse perspectives to make the best decision. I always try and seek out those that have a different perspective, listen seriously to the counter points of view and ensure every voice is heard. When people are reticent or shy to express an unpopular opinion, giving them a voice and an environment to disagree is incredibly important.

If you want to challenge yourself to grow, click here to read all 5 steps to making big decisions.

Article originally published on linkedin.com by Rajat Taneja.

Marcianne Kuethen

Marcianne Kuethen is a Senior Writer at Amtec, where she has written over 700 blog posts in the past 18 years. Her family has led the company across three generations, from her father who founded Amtec in 1959 to her son Barrett who serves as President and CEO today. Outside of writing, she makes art, music, and gardens.