Making decisions is easier said than done. Some people think that all the decisions they make must be successful.

The truth is that most decisions go wrong for people as decision-making depends on various factors such as head, heart, gut, and the prevailing situation around them.

In love matters, people often go by their heart, not by head or gut. In organizational issues, people often go by their head and gut. In some special instances, people go by their head, heart, and gut to make their decisions. 

Of course, there is no quick-fix approach to decision-making. The people who encounter failures frequently keep their reserves ready and keep different plans on standby such as Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C etc.

“You cannot make progress without making decisions.” – Jim Rohn

I was asked to lead a webinar by the International Leadership Association on “Soft Leadership” on August 29, 2012, which is a new leadership perspective I have coined. I prepared thoroughly on the topic, and rehearsed several times by improving the draft and including new ideas and insights in every subsequent draft. 

I also engaged my two sons to ensure the success of the webinar. Unfortunately at the last moment, there was a problem with my internet connection and I along with my son rushed to a nearby browsing center and led the webinar successfully. 

We booked the place at the browsing center in advance as a standby, and it saved us.  Before moving out to lead the webinar, I asked my younger son about the internet connection and whether it would work out. He said that he would fix the problem. 

However, I had an apprehension that fixing the problem at the time just before the webinar would delay the session.  Hence, I followed my intuition and quickly moved outside and led the webinar at the internet browsing center which was close to my residence. 

Hence, whenever you make a decision, don’t assume that everything will go smoothly.  Be prepared for distractions and external challenges.  Be mentally prepared that all decisions may not turn out to be fruitful. 

Whenever the outcomes are negative, learn lessons and move forward as such unpleasant experiences and outcomes will enhance your intuition thus improving your decision-making skills. 

There are various ways you can make decisions. When you have full information you can make decisions based on your head. 

When you have partial information, you can go by your head and heart.  If you don’t have any information, you can go by your gut. 

Leaders at the top level often work under uncertainty and complexity.  When they don’t have access to appropriate information they go by their intuition. 

Benjamin Franklin’s Decision Making

Benjamin adopted the following methodology to ensure successful outcomes from his decisions:

“My way is to divide half a sheet of paper by a line into two columns, writing over the one Pro, and over the other Con.  Then during three or four days’ consideration, I put down under the different heads short hints of the different motives that at different times occur to me for or against the measure.  When I have thus got them all together in one view, I endeavor to estimate their respective weights, and where I find two, one on each side, that seem equal, I strike them both out.  If I find a reason pro equal to some two reasons con, I strike out the three.  If I judge some two reasons con equal to some three reasons pro, I strike out the five; and thus proceeding I find at length where the balance lies.”

My Method of Decision-Making

William Pollard once remarked, “It is not always what we know or analyze before we make a decision that makes it a great decision. It is what we do after we decide to implement and execute it that makes it a good decision.” 

I often make decisions as follows: If I am sure about the outcome, I go by gut feelings. If I am not an expert on the issue, I consult various experts and take their viewpoints. I weigh both pros and cons by using both my head and heart.  

If the pros outnumber the cons then I make the decision.  I don’t regret what I decide because I make decisions based on the prevailing circumstances and constraints.  

However, if the outcomes are negative, I would learn lessons from them and ensure that I don’t make such mistakes in the future. 

I treat every failure as a learning experience and move forward with energy and enthusiasm following the sage advice: “Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.“

Albert Camus remarked, “Life is the sum of all your choices.” Hence, don’t waste your precious time by brooding over your wrong decisions. Instead, learn lessons and invest the present time for making successful decisions in the future.  

To conclude, you make decisions based on your head. You make a commitment based on your heart. You execute tasks based on your gut. Hence, blend head, heart, and gut proportionately and as per the situation to achieve the desired outcomes in your life.