Decision making inside organizations can take place in less than ideal circumstances. Intense pressure to make quick decisions, high stakes, and lots of ambiguity, can make thorough decision-making difficult. At times individuals and teams use experience and instinct as the basis for decisions rather than slow down the process.
In between gut instinct and “analysis paralysis” is a logical and practical approach that helps individuals and groups weigh options and evaluate the impact of different alternatives. Decision-making tools facilitate this approach because they take the guess work out of the process and build alignment amongst many perspectives and agendas through dialogue.
I have added a link to one tool below. The Decision Matrix that is easy-to-use and adaptable to many different circumstances. This tool (like all of the Howick Tools for Engagement) includes a step-by-step facilitation guide and a sample matrix to use as a guide if you have never used these kinds of tools before.
Getting a group of individuals to collaborate, understand one another’s perspective’s and make choices that ensure positive outcomes outweigh any potential negative implications can be challenging without the benfit of structure. By assisting their partners in making structured decisions, and proactively identify the implications of their choices with a tool like the Decision Matrix, internal consultants help their partners have more control over alternatives, direction and results because quality decisions have a direct link to business results.
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