Feelings of indecisiveness are not uncommon and often plague the brightest minds. Logic dictates that making a “good” decision (and the “right” decision) is derived from reviewing past experiences and outcomes, understanding current conditions, trends and challenges, and having the knowledge of the many variables that are potential “doom and glooms” that you don’t have control over, yet sit in the near future waiting to pounce and completely upset the apple cart if you don’t make the right decision(s).
Admittedly, decision making can be exhausting and can often lead to making no decision at all. In other words, not deciding creates inertia. Inertia, as the dictionary tells us, is the tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged. The leaning toward doing nothing keeps the root of why a decision needs to be made lurking. It grows. And it grows inside of us keeping us up at night the longer we put off deciding. Procrastination sets in while we evaluate the same past experiences that taught us some things, review the current information and research everything we can to help get us closer to having that confidence to move forward. To no avail. We are stuck.
Keep in mind, this is not about deciding on what to have for lunch today. We’re talking about tough decisions in complex times. Where the degree of uncertainty, and the stakes, are high. When the information and facts needed to feel confident in making the decision just aren’t there. When external factors are not in your control and the impact of the decision could negatively affect others, your business (or life) in a negative way.
Having coached many individuals through inertia, I created a simple model to help everyone feel more comfortable and confident in decision making. Helping others to get out of the quicksand of procrastination and a model that is repeatable each time you get stuck in the decision-making process.
The S4 Decision Making Model™
START * STOP * SHIFT * START
- Take a small step by starting to do something toward the challenge. The starting point is based on everything you already know based on experience and understanding the facts of your current situation. It does not include the unknowns of the future (unless you happen to have a crystal ball).
- Evaluate how that decision you made is working. For some, that evaluation might take months to see the impact. For others, you could see a small impact in a much shorter period. The point here is to stop and keep your eye on the result(s). Inspect what you expected.
- You are now at Wimbledon. You are on your toes and ready to pivot when the ball comes back to you. You are not poised flat-footed. You do not have your feet in cement. You are nimble. You’ve evaluated the result of your choice, and you can tweak/modify as necessary.
- Move forward with your tweaks and modifications. This is now your next step that sets you up for another round of S4 – Start/Stop/Shift/Start. Repeatable. With every step in this model, you will gain confidence and more clarity (which begets more confidence) to continue making the decisions you need to without keeping you up at night.
Implementing The S4 Decision Making Model™ will show you that there should not be any one decision, at any time, that brings the house down. That there won’t be any one decision that ruins everything you have strived for.
Now is the time, to take the time, so you are making the most of your time here on this planet. Nobody can do the work for you. Cheers to a more decision-making you! Until next time!
Email me for more insight into this topic. Happy to help! dk@pearcoresolutions.com
Deidre Koppelman - Founder & CEO - PEAR Core Solutions, Inc. – www.pearcoresolutions.com