Decisions, Decisions

  ProjectsAtWork  

Five steps to making better ones.

If you're a project manager, you're a decision-maker. Armed with mountains of real-time data at your fingertips, you make daily decisions to address multidimensional problems throughout every project. "Unfortunately, the more information and choices we have, the more difficult decision-making is," says Dr. Errol Wirasinghe, author of The Art of Making Decisions. "The sheer volume of information overwhelms individual decision-makers."

When it comes to decision-making, common sense and experience are vital tools, but they are not enough, Wirasinghe says. "The human mind can process only about seven bits of information at one time. Today's managers must process much more than that; management needs new training and tools to make reliable and consistent decisions."

Before you make another decision, Wirasinghe offers a five-step approach.

1. Define objectives. "We often believe we have a good idea of the problem at hand, but understanding the problem is not the same as understanding the objective. As you review the problem and course of action, determine your ultimate goal. By looking at the big picture, you can devise an unambiguous objective and make your decision easier."

2. Rate factors. "All factors contributing to the problem do not have the same significance. Your final decision will depend …

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