What do you do if you're unsure about your decision-making skills?

1 Assess your strengths and weaknesses

The first step to improving your decision-making skills is to identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can use a self-assessment tool, such as the Decision-Making Style Inventory, to evaluate how you approach decisions and what areas you need to work on. For example, you may find out that you are good at generating options, but struggle with evaluating risks and consequences. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can help you leverage your assets and address your gaps.

2 Learn from others

Another way to improve your decision-making skills is to learn from others who have more experience or expertise in the field. You can observe how they make decisions, ask them for feedback, and seek their advice when you face a challenging situation. You can also join a mentorship program, a peer network, or a professional development course to expand your knowledge and skills. Learning from others can help you gain new perspectives, insights, and strategies for making better decisions.

3 Use a framework or a tool

Sometimes, you may feel unsure about your decision-making skills because you lack a clear or consistent process or method. In that case, you can use a framework or a tool to guide you through the steps of making a decision. For example, you can use the SMART criteria to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. Or, you can use the SWOT analysis to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each option. Using a framework or a tool can help you structure your thinking, analyze information, and compare alternatives.

4 Test your assumptions and biases

One of the common pitfalls of decision-making is to rely on assumptions and biases that may cloud your judgment or limit your options. For instance, you may assume that the status quo is the best option, or that you know what others want or need. To avoid these traps, you need to test your assumptions and biases by seeking evidence, data, and feedback. You also need to challenge yourself to consider different scenarios, perspectives, and outcomes. Testing your assumptions and biases can help you make more objective, informed, and creative decisions.

5 Review and reflect on your decisions

The final tip to improve your decision-making skills is to review and reflect on your decisions after you make them. You can evaluate the results, outcomes, and impacts of your decisions, and identify what worked well and what didn't. You can also ask for feedback from others who were involved or affected by your decisions, and learn from their opinions and experiences. Reviewing and reflecting on your decisions can help you measure your progress, celebrate your successes, and learn from your mistakes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?