Learn how to improve your decision-making skills and make the best choice for your career. Apply these 5 strategies to clarify your goals, evaluate your options, overcome your biases, and plan for the consequences.

𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝. Imagine you got a job offer in a new place, and you're not sure if you should take it or stay where you are. First, find out what the job is about and what it's like to work there. Then, make a list of good things(Pros) and not-so-good things (Cons) about moving and staying. Talk to friends or family for advice. Take your time; don't decide too quickly. Think about what really matters to you, like being close to family. Remember times when you had to decide things before and what you learned. Doing these things will help you decide with more confidence.

You’re struggling to make a big decision. What can you do to improve your decision-making skills?

Making a big decision can be stressful and challenging, especially when it comes to your career. You might feel overwhelmed by the options, uncertain about the outcomes, or conflicted about the trade-offs. However, you can improve your decision-making skills by applying some proven strategies that can help you clarify your goals, evaluate your alternatives, and overcome your biases. Here are some tips to guide you through the process of making a better choice for your future.

1 Identify your criteria

Before you dive into comparing the pros and cons of each option, you need to define what matters most to you. What are your values, preferences, and priorities? What are your short-term and long-term goals? What are the minimum requirements and the desired outcomes of your decision? By identifying your criteria, you can narrow down your options and focus on the ones that align with your vision and purpose.

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Ujala Sharma

25 X 🏆 LinkedIn Top Voice 🏆 | Founder & Director at HireWay Consulting | Top Recruiting Voice | HR Consultant | Recruitment Expert | Talent Acquisition | Women Entrepreneur | DM for Collaboration 🤝 |
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𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝. Imagine you got a job offer in a new place, and you're not sure if you should take it or stay where you are. First, find out what the job is about and what it's like to work there. Then, make a list of good things(Pros) and not-so-good things (Cons) about moving and staying. Talk to friends or family for advice. Take your time; don't decide too quickly. Think about what really matters to you, like being close to family. Remember times when you had to decide things before and what you learned. Doing these things will help you decide with more confidence.

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Kim Fragopoulos

Academic & Career Advisor | Student Retention Specialist | Asset and Strength Based Advising | Financial Aid Specialist
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My motto - When faced with a difficult decision, choose happiness. No other option is worth it. What will make you happy? If you got a job offer in a new place, think about why you applied for the job in the first place. Are you unhappy where you are? Think about what is important to you. Then think about what is REALLY important to you. What does each job offer in terms of what you need? Financial security? Work/life balance? Flexible schedule? Hybrid/remote schedule? Shorter commute? Supportive office culture? I just turned down a promotion to take a lateral move and follow a slightly different career path. Years ago, I took a $15k/year pay cut to get out of a toxic work environment. Choose happy.

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CA Jinesh Pagaria (Jain)

CEO @Corenza | Finance hiring made simple | Passionate about continuous growth & innovation | Trusted by 201+ corporates for their finance recruitments across levels for PAN India.
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To enhance your decision-making skills when facing a tough choice, start by gathering all relevant information and weighing the pros and cons. Seek advice from trusted individuals to gain different perspectives. Reflect on your values, goals, and priorities to align your decision with what truly matters to you. Consider potential outcomes and risks before making a choice. Practice mindfulness to stay focused and calm amidst uncertainty. Lastly, trust your intuition and be open to learning from both successful and unsuccessful decisions. By honing these skills and approaches, you can navigate big decisions with more confidence and clarity.

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Jimena Perez Gramond M.

Impulso a Gerentes y Directores a encontrar un trabajo que les apasione potenciando el proceso de búsqueda.
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Identifica y evalúa las opciones que tienes disponibles, tomando en cuenta esto: - Valores: ¿Qué te motiva? Estabilidad, flexibilidad, impacto social, etc. - Preferencias: Tipo de trabajo, ambiente laboral, ubicación, etc. - Prioridades: ¿Qué es innegociable? Salario, beneficios, desarrollo profesional, etc. - Objetivos: ¿A corto y largo plazo? ¿Qué quieres lograr en tu carrera? - Requisitos: Habilidades, experiencia, formación mínima. - Resultados: ¿Qué esperas obtener de este trabajo?

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Jorge P.

EBITDA, SINERGIA FINANZAS & OPERACIONES
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Analizar los valores y misión de la organización Definir objetivo cuantitativo Diseñar un análisis FODA Generar Plan de Acción con referencia a la herramienta 4W 1H Who When Where Why How

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2 Gather relevant information

Once you have a clear idea of what you are looking for, you need to collect and analyze the information that can help you make an informed decision. This might include doing some research, asking for feedback, consulting experts, or testing your assumptions. You want to gather as much relevant and reliable data as possible, but avoid getting stuck in analysis paralysis. Set a deadline for your decision and stick to it.

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Jimena Perez Gramond M.

Impulso a Gerentes y Directores a encontrar un trabajo que les apasione potenciando el proceso de búsqueda.
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Te comparto un par de consejos para recopilar información con la intención de mejorar tu toma de decisiones en la búsqueda de empleo: - Define tu objetivo profesional. - Investiga empresas y puestos de interés. - Habla con profesionales en tu campo. - Asiste a eventos de networking. - Participa en cursos online o talleres.

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3 Weigh the pros and cons

After you have gathered enough information, you need to weigh the pros and cons of each option. You can use a simple table or a more sophisticated tool like a decision matrix to compare and rank the options based on your criteria. You can also assign weights or scores to each criterion to reflect its importance. This can help you visualize and quantify the advantages and disadvantages of each option and identify the best one for you.

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Jimena Perez Gramond M.

Impulso a Gerentes y Directores a encontrar un trabajo que les apasione potenciando el proceso de búsqueda.
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Analiza los pros y los contras de la información que recopilaste, todo esto con la intención de reducir el estrés en la toma de decisiones . Algo que me funciona mucho en este tipo de situaciones es escuchar a mi intuición. Escucha tu instinto y no ignores las señales de alerta. Recuerda que no existe una decisión "perfecta".

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4 Check your biases

Even if you have done your homework and followed a rational process, you might still be influenced by some cognitive biases that can distort your judgment and lead you to make suboptimal decisions. For example, you might be prone to confirmation bias, which means you only look for information that supports your existing beliefs, or sunk cost fallacy, which means you stick to a bad decision because you have invested too much in it. To check your biases, you need to challenge your assumptions, seek different perspectives, and test your logic.

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5 Make a contingency plan

Finally, after you have made your decision, you need to make a contingency plan for the possible scenarios that might arise from it. You cannot predict or control everything that might happen, but you can prepare for the risks and opportunities that might come your way. You can also set some milestones and indicators to monitor and evaluate your progress and results. This can help you adjust your strategy and actions if needed and cope with any unexpected challenges or changes.

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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?

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Mauro A. La Rosa H.

Consultor en procesos comerciales y de servicio al cliente | Experiencia del cliente y mejora continua | Mentor de jóvenes profesionales | Top Voice en LinkedIn 2024 🏆
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A mi me ha resultado útil hacer una T [dos columnas] para evaluar pros y contras y trato de ser lo más objetivo posible mirando el problema desde afuera como si le estuviese ocurriendo a mi mejor amigo. Luego de este proceso, sobretodo cuando la respuesta es positiva, veo como hace "match" con mis valores. Este es el filtro final

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Pallavi Pande - Your Career Growth Partner

16 Years in Resume Writing and Personal Branding: Elevate Your Career | C-Level & Executive Resumes | LinkedIn Branding | Job Search Coaching
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🔹Clearly state the decision you need to make and what issue it solves. Break it into smaller parts if needed. 🔹Collect relevant facts and details about the decision. Think about both numbers and descriptions. 🔹Think of different ways to solve the problem. Be creative and look at it from different angles. 🔹Look at the good and bad parts of each idea. Think about the risks, benefits, and what might happen. 🔹Talk to people who know about the decision. Listen to different ideas to help you choose. 🔹Use methods like SWOT analysis or decision trees to help you decide. 🔹Listen to your feelings, especially if you know about the problem. But also think carefully about it.

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You’re struggling to make a big decision. What can you do to improve your decision-making skills?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your criteria

2 Gather relevant information

3 Weigh the pros and cons

4 Check your biases

5 Make a contingency plan

6 Here’s what else to consider

Job Search Strategies

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You’re struggling to make a big decision. What can you do to improve your decision-making skills?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your criteria

2 Gather relevant information

3 Weigh the pros and cons

4 Check your biases

5 Make a contingency plan

6 Here’s what else to consider

Job Search Strategies

Rate this article

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