In corporate life, we often face tough options and must make big decisions. For example, in recent strategy workshops, the executives asked me if they should: take Option A or B; penetrate segment A or B; invest in product X or Y; whether the company should compete in price or not; etc.
My answer is always the same: “What is your goal?” and “What brings you closer to your goal?” Why do I answer their strategic questions with these two questions? Simply because the best way to make any decision – when facing a set of tough choices – is to choose the option that gives you the most significant progress toward your goal. In essence, your goal is your primary decision-making criterion. The goal dictates the decision.
Many people get stuck when they have to make strategic choices because they don’t have a goal in mind. If you don’t have a goal, it is impossible to make the best choice. How can you find the optimal choice when you don’t know what you’re trying to optimize for? To find the shortest path to what you want, you must first know what you want.
So, if you next time struggle to make big decisions, focus your energy on discovering your goal. This is not an overnight process; it may take some time.
Sometimes, you should run hard toward your goal. Sometimes, you must take it slow to explore and find your goal. This is much better than running hard aimlessly.
Comentarios