Executive Coaching for Making Decisions – There Are No “No-Brainers”

Are you working in an organization where leaders make good business decisions? Do the leaders in your organization make decisions by first challenging old assumptions?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself is “Am I objectively challenging any faulty assumptions?” Inspiring leaders make good decisions by thoroughly examining their assumptions for errors in thinking.

Are you fully aware of when you selectively seek out confirming evidence to justify your decisions?  Are you able to make better decisions by creating a workplace climate where the status quo is unacceptable?

There Are No “No-Brainers”

When it comes to business decisions, there are no “no-brainers.” Our brains are always at work, sometimes without our conscious awareness, and sometimes in ways that hinder rather than help us.

At every stage of the decision-making process, misperceptions, faulty assumptions and other mind tricks can influence the choices we make.

Highly complex and important decisions are the most likely to be distorted because they involve the most assumptions, depend on estimates and receive more input from myriad people.

The higher the stakes, the greater the risk of being caught in a psychological trap. These traps can work in isolation or in tandem.

A dramatic first impression may anchor our thinking, causing us to selectively seek out confirming evidence to justify our initial inclination. We then make a hasty decision, which establishes a new status quo.

And as the sunk costs accumulate, we become trapped, unable to find a propitious time to seek out a new, possibly better course.

The best protection is awareness. Forewarned is forearmed. If you cannot eradicate the distortions ingrained in the way your mind works, you can at least build tests and disciplines into your decision-making process that can uncover errors in thinking before they become errors in judgment.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a leader who makes the right decisions. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.