Multi-layered decision-making
Choices or decisions have a profound impact on our lives. Making decisions is something that we do continuously. Some are good, some are not so good.
How do we increase the probability of making good decisions?
The answer is: The more layers you can use in your decision-making process, the better the decision will be.
Layers
Head and heart
We have all heard phrases like “Use you head” or “Follow your heart”. These are essential layers in decision-making, and you have to use both to make good decisions. We need to develop the skill of using our head as well as our heart to make decisions.
Behaviour Drivers
The reality is this: Although we use our heads and our hearts to make decisions, with varying degrees of skill and success, our decisions or choices are governed by our Behaviour Drivers or Values. Values are the foundational layer in decision-making. If we only use our head and heart, and do not understand the profound impact values have on our decisions, then we will decrease our probability of making good decisions or choices.
LEMON Leadership
What if we could add another layer of insight to our decision-making?
The answer is that we can, if we understand and have a working knowledge of LEMON Leadership.
The different LEMON types see decisions or choices through different lenses or perspectives:
- Luminaries see through the perspective of ideology and future consequences.
- Entrepreneurs see through the perspective of opportunity and the impact it will make.
- Managers see through the perspective of reality, hard facts, and what could go wrong.
- Organisers see through the perspective of empathy and immediate practicality.
- Networkers see through the perspective of consideration for people and how the decision will help or hurt others.
In order to make good decisions we need to see all these perspectives.
How do we do this?
- Recognise that our LEMON Type or slice dictates that our perspective is limited.
- Recognise also that the perspective you need is probably the one you will most struggle to listen to.
- Include members of our team who have different slices in the decision-making.
- Consult others who have different slices if they do not exist in the team.
- Step into the other slice and deliberately and consciously see the decision through the lens of the other slices.
Completing decisions
The decision is complete when we can answer these questions:
- What is the decision we need to make?
- Why do we need to make it?
- Who will be responsible to do it?
- By when must it be done?
- How are we going to do it?
Interestingly – The different LEMON Types ask these different questions.
Male and Female – the switch
The final layer is to understand that men and women make decisions differently.
It is generally well understood that in life men tend to be more cognitive and women tend to be more emotional. There are always exceptions, but this is a generalisation.
However, when it comes to making decisions, this tends to switch, and women make cognitive decisions, and men make emotional, impulse decisions.
Personal and Team
There is a difference between –
- Personal decisions
- Team decisions
The primary difference between the two is that the values might not be the same.
With a personal decision you will automatically make the decision within the context of your own values. With a business decisions it is the values of the team that will give context to the decision. After that the layers are the same.
If you need help with any of the following feel free to contact me:
- Articulating your own values.
- Unpacking your team’s values.
- LEMON Leadership.
- Leading your team.
- Making decisions.