Whenever a book consists of 600 man-years of experience, as well as 3 years of research by the authors on something as important as decision making, then I will definitely invest the time to read it. Worse than that, I paid $ 7 to get this knowledge. I took this book on a whim and I can tell you that it is very good and that the lessons in the book will make you a better leader and decision maker.
Why is this important to me? As usual, this can be answered with an additional question. Would it help to have a framework for decisions? Decision making is one of the most important skills you must master to be successful in any endeavor. Sometimes your decisions change your life. Most people are afraid to make decisions. Do you know people who are weak and have trouble making a decision? Or what about people who can make decisions for themselves, but once others are involved, they fall apart. The way the wise decide will help guide yourself and your team if you are a leader or manager to make good decisions. In 1962, the world almost ended. The Cuban missile crisis almost ended in a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Imagine standing in the dock knowing that the decisions you make will have the fate of humanity on your shoulders. Needless to say, President Kennedy did a great job, otherwise you wouldn’t be watching this video. So in a nutshell, you will find relevant information that you can use RIGHT NOW to make better decisions.
This book is divided into 6 relevant strategies that the 21 leaders profiled use to make wise decisions. For the sake of time, we’ll summarize each one briefly.
1. Go to the fountain – When I was a child we used to play a game called telephone. You say something to your friend and then your friend says the same to the next person, and by the time they come back to you, what was said is totally different. This happens all the time in organizations. There is a large amount of information to collect, the question is whether it is the correct information. People generally don’t want to pass bad news, so they will dilute it as they move up the chain to the decision maker. The key to avoiding this is to go to the source. Example: Bill George, president of Medtronic, spent his first 90 days on the job in the operating room watching their products in action. The balloon catheter I was looking at today had slow sales. He found out firsthand why when the surgeon pulled out the faulty part, he threw it away and used his competitors to get the job done. It goes without saying that going to the source provides the correct information for troubleshooting.
2. Fill a room with barbarians: When a difficult decision needs to be made, put battery holders in a room, fight and argue until you have a good decision. Seeking and promoting what is decent generates two advantages. First, it forces everyone to participate and give their opinion, which exposes the strengths and weaknesses of each possible decision. Second, a good discussion can rephrase the problem in a new light to arrive at a better decision. People need to feel comfortable speaking their minds and not worry if they DO NOT agree with the boss. Also, once a decision is made, EVERYONE has to stand behind it, even if their choice was not chosen.
3. Conquer the fear of risk – Psychologist Daniel Kahneman raises – “If I flip a coin and it comes up heads, I will send you $ 1,000 but if it is tails, then you write me a check for $ 500. Most people will not. do it because they fear losing $ 500 more than gaining $ 1,000 although they should take it every time the FEAR FACTOR is too great. The key here is to UNDERSTAND RISK fully and not fear it. The more information you gather, the better the decisions.
4. Make Vision Your Daily Guide: Wise leaders know that to make the best decisions you need not only the right vision, but also the discipline to let the vision guide every decision you make, even the seemingly innocuous tactical choices of the day. a day.
5. Listen with purpose – I have read countless books and I cannot emphasize enough that Listening is a skill you need to master in order to be successful. Purposeful listening means that you are prepared BEFORE the meeting and are seeking input on the PURPOSE. This is different than just paying attention. You want to challenge and debate to reach the best decision, but to do so you need to be prepared and listen.
6. Be Transparent – What do you call a big decision that doesn’t get executed? Nothing but a dream. Decisions start with being announced. But to be executed they must be honest about how and why they made the decision. Telling the full story prevents rumors and doubts from diverting the energy and efforts of your team. Remember that you need the entire team to execute and that includes the people who were on the opposite side of the decision. Transparency is the key to achieving execution.
90% of the value a leader provides comes from the most important and challenging 10% of their decisions. This means that being an effective decision maker requires a proven methodology. This book helps in that endeavor.
I hope this short summary has been helpful to you. The key to any new idea is to incorporate it into your daily routine until it becomes a habit. Habits are formed in just 21 days. One thing you can kick back and make a habit is PURPOSE LISTENING. If you are asked to attend a meeting or do something, then there is a reason for it. Be prepared and ask relevant questions. You’ll become an asset to your team and hone a key skill for success.