Decisions decisions!

Then it's casual, smart-casual or suit? Conservative - medium - or completely outrageous tie? Block-colour or striped shirt, should one mix a striped shirt with a spotted tie? Tommy, Armani or Boss? The Fossil or the Omega? Trainers, brown shoes or black? Working-out today or swimming? To take the Land Cruiser, the Porsche or the Ferrari?

Does one gamble on the agonizing, twenty minute jam to escape the development or deviate from the regular route and risk perpendicular chicken from cement mixer Johnnies?

We are all confronted with similar 'problems' every day with many solution options requiring some form of basic decision-making and that's before even thinking about work.

In the working environment team leaders and managers are faced with an equally comprehensive range of decision-making opportunities; problems by any other name, and the solutions are not normally as easy as choosing a tie or optimum brand of toothpaste.

Problems often seem to outnumber the options immediately thought available - unfortunately too many professionals will jump at the first or second solution they think of without really thinking about other possibilities or consequences of implementation, often with disastrous results.

So how can professionals go about the often daunting task of decision making and problem solving?

Effective decision-making starts with a problem statement, just writing the problem down will help clarify the situation. Ask yourself is the problem the real problem or is it a symptom of a much greater problem?

Losing air from a tyre may at first appear to be a problem and inflating it may last for a week but unless you find out that the real problem is a slow puncture, and address that, your solution will never solve the real problem. A work problem will probably require some detective work to find out whether it is the real problem or a symptom of a greater problem.

Problems can be grouped into three types: Deviations, Potential and Improvement.


• Deviations are the most common; where task or procedure has deviated from the standard and reaps unpleasant results.


• Potential; where there is the possibility of a potential problem in the future.


• Improvement; where improvements to the company such as new employees, soft-ware or re-location bring their own tide of problems.

Once the real problem has been defined solutions can be considered. Experienced managers will take some time over this and brain storm as many options as possible to reframe their thinking, allow innovation and avoid having a blinkered outlook yielding poor solutions.

Incidentally; brain storming - finding solutions - can be done individually or in teams. The process is designed to get ideas on the table, no matter how unusual and without judgment, so that at the end of session, 15-60 minutes, you have a full range of options.

Then you can go about the task of evaluation, looking at the advantages and disadvantages and possible effects, giving each solution a rating and finally making your informed decision.

The solutions to your problems may not be in this article but using the problem solving and decision making process will certainly help you develop effective solid solutions that solve real problems and last.