Experts suggest a number of ways to improve decision making; know when a decision is necessary, recognize constraints, develop critical thinking skills, apply experience and expertise, and use intuition.
Decision timing: Sometimes the best decision is to postpone making a decision until a situation begins to deteriorate. Generally, managers have to com¬pare the benefits and risks of action to the benefits and risks of inaction before making a decision/ But a manager can often solve a no crisis problem creatively simply by making a decision in rime.
Realistic decision constraints: Especially in non-programmed problem situations, managers often find few organizational policies to guide the decision-making process. Policies frequently define the limitations of resources (such as the budget or the personnel that managers may use to solve a problem) but go no further. Realistically, managers need to recognize constraints such as physical limitations in production or transportation, government regulations, and standards of quality or time.
Critical thinking skills: Another way to improve decision making is to develop critical thinking skills, which help managers think clearly, logically, and analytically about the problems they face. Being an effective manager has a lot to do with the ability to take action, but it's equally important that managers be able to recognize and analyze problems, understand their context, and assess the repercussions of various responses before they implement any decisions.
Decision timing: Sometimes the best decision is to postpone making a decision until a situation begins to deteriorate. Generally, managers have to com¬pare the benefits and risks of action to the benefits and risks of inaction before making a decision/ But a manager can often solve a no crisis problem creatively simply by making a decision in rime.
Realistic decision constraints: Especially in non-programmed problem situations, managers often find few organizational policies to guide the decision-making process. Policies frequently define the limitations of resources (such as the budget or the personnel that managers may use to solve a problem) but go no further. Realistically, managers need to recognize constraints such as physical limitations in production or transportation, government regulations, and standards of quality or time.
Critical thinking skills: Another way to improve decision making is to develop critical thinking skills, which help managers think clearly, logically, and analytically about the problems they face. Being an effective manager has a lot to do with the ability to take action, but it's equally important that managers be able to recognize and analyze problems, understand their context, and assess the repercussions of various responses before they implement any decisions.