A Guide to Making the Tough Decisions

Decision making is a tough game. Often leaders – any of us actually – face difficult decisions and we never, ever seem to have enough information to determine which of the choices in front of us is the right one.

American writer Eric McNulty with the National Leadership Preparedness Initiative has crafted a guide for High-stakes decision-making, a great tool for those who have to make the tough call.

First of all, he notes, that tough decisions are generally made in difficult circumstances. We don’t always have all the information we’d like. But a decision is still required.

So he has some basic advice.

First, rely on your values – personal and organizational – in a crisis. That suggests you have actually thought about them and have a clear picture of what you stand for. Second, cultivate a culture of telling the truth to the boss – they need the straight goods in critical time and this has been well-established in an organization. Finally, hydrate and get some sleep. The body performs poorly when over-taxed resulting in less-than-optimum decision making.