the other side of decision making
TRANSCRIPT
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+44 (0) 7976 751 095 [email protected] http://danbeverly.com
The Other Side of
Decision Making November 2015
For the big decisions, we must expand our conscious awareness and acknowledge the other
side of the decision-making story - if we're serious about change.
How many decisions do you make a day?
In today's world, it's got to be a fair few. And our brains are adept
at handling the overload: most of our decisions happen on an
unconscious level. The first "we" get to know about it is after a
decision's been reached; and our deliberations become
retrospectively-attached justification.
But for the bigger decisions, we really do want to weigh the pros
and cons. And if we're serious about change, we need to bring
the other side of decision making into conscious awareness.
Here's how.
The other side of our decisions
When faced with a decision, we tend to focus on the pros and
cons of making the change. But that’s only half the decision-
making story. To make a big change, we need also to focus on
the pros and cons of not making the change.
"What I'll get if I don't make the change" vs. "What I won't get if I
do make the change" is complicated and starting to sound like
semantic difference only. But there is a big difference; and our
unconscious knows it – and acts on it.
Enduring bad habits are a great example. I might consciously
focus on all the good reasons to quit smoking, stop skipping
breakfast, cut-down on caffeine. But until I acknowledge what my
unconscious already knows - what I'm getting from my bad habit
and what I'll lose if I stop - my chances of changing are pretty
slim.
So this is a lot more than semantics. This is about acknowledging
that whenever we push ourselves towards a change, there's
always a pull (both powerful and unnoticed) to the comfortable
and rewarding status quo.
A thinking tool for better
decision-making
To bring into awareness the other side of your decision, the Will
Get Won't Get Decision Matrix is a useful tool to help think
through the positive and negative aspects of a particular choice.
Now, I know a number of coaches who prefer not to use this with
their clients, for two reasons: it can get complicated; and it can
get negative. And those two things can move clients into an
"away" state.
But for me, I really like this tool exactly because it advocates for
the status quo. And if we're serious about making a change, then
acknowledging the powerful pull of no-change is crucial.
Just be sure to think about your decision one quadrant at a time:
that'll avoid overloading your prefrontal cortex. And when
complete, simply step back: what do you notice now about your
decision that you hadn't seen previously?
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+44 (0) 7976 751 095 [email protected] http://danbeverly.com
To do, or not to do?
In today's fast-paced world, with its abundance of choice,
convenience and access, there's a decision at every turn. To
expand your conscious awareness for the big decisions, make a
habit of asking two extra questions:
What am I really getting from the status quo?
What am I really giving-up in making the change?
Dan Beverly is a leadership and performance coach helping high-calibre, high-
performing professional women embrace the pivotal career moments.
His mission is to inspire possibility in others: to help us excel in careers without
compromise; and to leave us feeling energised and uplifted by a new future.
Go online to book your complimentary “Session Zero” with Dan – and start
capitalising on your pivotal career moments today.
http://danbeverly.com/session-0