Based on William Coscarelli’s “The Decision-Making Style Inventory.”
Do you ever lay awake at night tossing and turning – lamenting about a decision you have to make? We all have preferred decision making (or problem solving) styles that impact how we approach problems. Appreciating our preferred styles (that self-awareness piece) enables us to rely on our personal characteristics to give us confidence in making a decision.
So here’s the deal, there are 2 angles we all approach decision making from: The first is how we gather information and second is how we analyze information.
Which statements describe you?
| Gathering Information | Once I have enough information, I’ll decide.(Systematic Decision-Maker) | I’ll decide soon enough –the answer will just come to me.(Spontaneous Decision-Maker) |
| Analyzing Information | Leave me alone, while I think this through.(Internal Thinker/Processor) | Let’s talk about this; Help me think it through.(Auditory Thinker/Processor) |
Once you determine which combination you are between gathering and analyzing, you can appreciate your style and begin to rely on these characteristics to approach your decision.
Here’s a few tips when using your style:
If you gather information systematically and process internally, rely on your skills as a planner with good follow through. Appreciate that you can think through all the options and document the tasks needed to make the decision (but don’t get too bogged down where it takes you too long to decide). If you analyze out loud, find a trusted colleague that will give you objective feedback on the information you’ve gathered.
If you gather information spontaneously and are an internal analyzer, appreciate that you can brainstorm lots of solutions and find resources quickly, but don’t try to act on all of them alone or get annoyed if you have to justify your decision. If you are more of an external processor, talk with your reliable, personal board of directors/mentors to create the best innovative solutions or to help validate your ideas.
There is no silver bullet to making “good” decisions, but by first knowing how you approach decisions will allow you to accept and exploit your natural tendencies to gathering and analyzing. Use this to your advantage and learn to trust yourself. Now, go get a good night’s sleep!
Cara Parker, President/CEO of C Parker Consulting, Inc. and a member of the Leadership Colloquium @ UMW Advisory Board. Check her out at: www.cparkerconsulting.com.
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