Decision making

Why is it important to be decisive at work?

It's important to be decisive at work to demonstrate professionalism and leadership qualities. Most occupations
involve making frequent decisions, from how much attention to devote to each task to managing other personnel
and prioritizing clients. When you can make good decisions, your coworkers and supervisors can trust you to work
independently and be reliable in high-pressure situations. By streamlining and practicing your decision-making
process, you can make your department more efficient, and may be able to devote more time to other parts of your
job that you enjoy.
How to be more decisive at work
Here are 11 steps to practice making decisions and apply those skills at work:
Think about why you’re hesitant
First, understand why you're reluctant to make decisions, then develop strategies to overcome that reluctance. For
example, if your role involves important decisions and you feel inexperienced, you might learn how others made
similar decisions. If you're hesitating because of negative consequences after an earlier decision, work to process that
event and recognize that each decision is a new opportunity to succeed.
Be open to change
If you're developing a new strategy or pattern for being decisive, it's important to be open to new ways of doing
things. As your decisiveness improves, you may find yourself in new situations or embracing greater responsibilities.
Being open to new results and consequences can help you more easily adjust to making more decisions and seeing
your surroundings change.
Make specific goals
Think about why you want to gain decision-making skills, then make goals to measure your own progress and
success. It may be as simple as aiming to take less time deciding on your lunch order at the deli. If you're taking on a
new role at work, think about specific things that you aim to do after a week, a month or a quarter. If you're looking
to take greater control of a current situation, envision what success would be and make incremental goals to get
there.

From these goals, you might create a written strategy or plan, including how you will counteract any
hesitance or fear and how your decision-making skills can help you improve in other areas of life. Having a
developed strategy can help you see your own progress.

Find a decision-making model

A role model can make it much easier to learn a new skill, so you may choose someone to emulate. You can
consider coworkers or professional mentors who have found career success, a leader in your industry or an
innovator in the modern workforce. Think about what this person prioritizes and what knowledge might help
them feel prepared when they make judgment calls. If it's someone you know, you might arrange a meeting
to learn their perspective and advice.

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-be-more-decisive-at-work

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