Our lives are a sum of decisions that we make, more or less important and founding decisions. For example, our diet alone requires an average of 227 decisions per day (Wansink & Sobal, 2007). So even the most indecisive among us take it.
Deciding is an art, and business leaders have even made it their job. He is paid to decide and especially to make the “right decisions”, those that make it possible to achieve the objectives (often financial) that have been assigned to him.
Some decisions seem more complicated to make than others, but you can make your life considerably easier on the subject... if you decide to do so!
Do you know the story of Buridan's donkey? This nice donkey *, placed equidistant from a bucket of water and an oat trough, died of hesitation. As he was both thirsty and hungry, he couldn't choose where to start...
Do you think that I am telling you the story of an anorexic donkey and that it does not concern you? Think again. Because for humans, the fear of making a bad decision increases anxiety, the refusal to choose and the impossibility of acting. This “fear of choice” is all the stronger when the decision is considered irreversible, the loss incurred is significant or the uncertainties are great.
Everyone who has married knows it: to decide is to give up.
According to some neuroscientists, our decisions are 100% determined by our genes and our environment. We can discuss this subject, but personally I decide not to believe in this type of thesis. On the contrary, to believe in free will is to think that there is something more, and that we have the ability to make a choice in complete freedom. Is this supposed freedom the fruit of God's will or of the strength of the soul? I will not risk an answer here, but if you are interested this question was asked and taught by Aristotle, Saint Augustin, Descartes, Spinoza...
Of course, our decisions are never guided by logic alone. There are cognitive biases, fears... In short, a nice emotional and irrational part.
So when you have a decision to make, start by talking to others and let yourself be gently influenced.
But above all, at the end of the road, when it's time to choose, feel free!
Here is a classic “decision-making process.” This type of approach has one merit: ensuring that no important decision-making step has been overlooked.
The process takes more or less time depending on the situation. For example, in court cases the first two phases are very long, while for the soccer referee they are instantaneous.
Beyond the process, making a decision is above all a matter of state of mind. Here are a few tips.
Do not be in a hurry, waste as much time as possible. Do not decide in anger... She is a bad counselor, everyone knows that. When fears or strong emotions remain, express them on paper and talk about them around you. Dramatize! We often overestimate the importance of the decisions we have to make... Your decisions will never be perfect, so accept that you can make mistakes... Moreover, you can often go back on a decision. Be creative! Whenever possible, try to find an alternative to what you first saw.
Know that 80% of leaders attribute their success to intuition (according to J. Parikh). So when time is running out or logic isn't enough, let intuition guide your decisions.
Stick to essential information. Long live simplicity! Close your eyes, visualize the alternatives one by one and let your emotions speak for themselves. If either of the alternatives gives you knots in your stomach, run away! Ask yourself, “Do I feel it or not?” If you are unsure, try to answer again tomorrow morning, within 10 minutes of waking up. Is everything a blur? Get some fresh air and think about something else.
Source: Isabelle Fontaine.
Whatever decision you make, know that all this will have been for nothing if it is not followed through. However, in business, politics or in your personal life, you often lack perseverance.
So fewer decisions, better taken and well executed: that's sometimes the right plan.
*actually Buridan is talking about this story about a dog.
A selection of articles to extend the reflection, discover other points of view and make your ideas grow.
