Strategies and Tips for Making Effective Decisions

Making effective decisions entails more than just presenting a slew of relevant points and debating them. The entire approach involves some decision rules, which can lead to more favorable outcomes and increase your influence beyond your formal authority or power. However, it is entirely possible that you are completely unaware of these tricks and strategies that can have a significant impact on your ability for making effective decisions when dealing with negotiators. This HBR article offers best practices gleaned from decades of teaching law students and advising business leaders, government officials, and non-profit executives that can influence delegates during a decision-making process.

The majority rule is the first and most important for making effective decisions. According to the article, majority rule necessitates the approval of more than fifty percent of the group members. The majority rule mandates that you consider three critical factors. According to this rule, the article recommends mapping the interests of all decision-makers and, as a result, maintaining communication especially with those who share your interests. The second factor that the article considers important is broadening the set of issues involved in the decision to allow those who are not particularly invested in the matter at hand to participate in your opinion as well. The final factor the article finds important is that it is critical to tailor your message so that it reaches your target audience in order to follow the majority rule. Negotiators can use this strategy to tap into their target audience’s perspectives, interests, and language in order to craft a compelling case in order for making effective decisions.

According to the article, the second critical strategy for making effective decisions is called “Chair Decides.” This strategy is recommended for situations involving a single decision-maker. The article recommends understanding the decision maker’s interests and then proceeding with your discussion, identifying the decision-trusted maker’s advisors and attempting to get them on board, and not ignoring other stakeholders and involving them in order for them to agree with your opinion as well. When a single decision-maker is involved, all of these factors are critical for making effective decisions. The last and most important strategy for making effective decisions is “Unanimity and Consensus.” The article explains unanimity as to the affirmative agreement of 100% of the deciding group, and the consensus is defined as none of the negotiating stakeholders actively object. The article emphasizes the importance of ensuring that opposing voices are heard and acknowledged because strong-arm tactics can often entrench rather than persuade them, raising the costs associated with intransigence, and since achieving both unanimity and consensus is extremely difficult, the article concludes by recommending that you change the rules of the game by shifting to the other two strategies if it appears impossible to achieve unanimity and consensus. A situation in which you need to persuade others, influence their choices and opinions, and find a way to cut through the oppositions to prove your point appears to be very difficult. However, the strategies recommended in this HBR article will undoubtedly help you in making effective decisions.