Make No Mistake: How to Make the Best Decision the First Time

MAKE NO MISTAKE

How to make the BEST DECISION the first time

Annette Dubrouillet

Copyright tmp_e829f70b84b37e570a7753f7165a561c_DBHJs1_html_35c0aa95.jpg 2013 by Annette Dubrouillet

All rights reserved. Published 2013

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotation in a review.

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Continuum Books

60 Woods End Road

Morris Plains, NJ 07950

(973) 998-4620

Cover design and interior layout by: Joni McPherson, McPherson Graphics, Inc.

E-Book by e-book-design.com

DEDICATION

With deep gratitude to Mark, Martina, M. A. and, of course, Charlie.

TESTIMONIALS

"Annette has written a clear, concise, step-by-step guide for sound decision making that will immediately be helpful for you.Whether you are a millionaire mogul deciding between several potential acquisitions, or a recent college graduate deciding which car to buy, you’ll find this book is an invaluable resource."

Frances M. Carlson, Early Childhood Expert, Author of Essential Touch and Big Body Play

"What Gladwell did with Blink to describe the how and when of decision making, Dubrouillet does to define the why with Make No Mistake. Whether it’s personal or professional, the act of deciding can be uncomfortable until you understand what’s going on. Not only does Annette assist in defining the underlying personality of your decision making, she adds confidence to your ability to change it for the better."

Mark Jeffers, Executive Business Consultant, husband and dad

"As a mother, Human Resources Advisor and wife, I must make important decisions quickly and effectively on a daily basis. Before Annette guided me through the decision making process, I was terrified of making decisions and was often criticized for being indecisive. There were many times when my indecisiveness negatively impacted my personal and professional life. Now I have confidence in the decisions I make and the motivation to make them no matter how challenging the choices may be."

Heather Dieguez, Human Resources Advisor, Federal Government

CONTENTS

Prologue

How This Book Works

Three Components of Decision Making

Why Are You Here?

First Component: Personality Characteristics

Second Component: Decision Drivers tmp_e829f70b84b37e570a7753f7165a561c_DBHJs1_html_6f5610f9.jpg

Third Component: The Seven-Step Process

The Seven-step Process

Step 1: Define the Problem

Step 2: List Criteria and Constraints

Step 3: Identify Possible Solutions

Step 4: Evaluate the Options and Make the Decision

Step 5: Implement the Decision

Step 6: Assess the Results

Step 7: Redefine the Problem

Conclusion

About the Author

Appendix

Bibliography

PROLOGUE

It’s Tuesday morning. You get up, shower, and decide what you are going to wear to work. You go into the kitchen and decide what you’re going to have for breakfast. You don’t have to decide what to put in your coffee; that’s been the same for years. You head out the door, get into your car, listen to the traffic report on the radio, and decide what route you are going to take to work. The sun is shining, your favorite song is on the radio, and you decide you are going to make this a great day.

You get to the office, get your second cup of coffee, and decide what you need to work on for the day. You have a meeting you have to schedule: you decide the date, the time, and who you should include in the meeting. You need to send email meeting requests, and knowing morale has been down a bit because of the layoffs, you decide to write a funny meeting request. You proofread it, laugh, and decide it’s just what everyone around here needs.

The client you’ve been avoiding (you don’t have an answer for his question) pops up on caller ID. You have to decide whether or not to take the call.

Lunch—tuna or tuna salad? Whole wheat or rye? Diet cola or water?

The afternoon budget meeting. Who’s going to run the meeting? Where do we cut 6.5 percent from next year’s budget? How will I avoid this meeting next year?

Just as you get back to your office, you get an email with a hot action that needs to be completed first thing tomorrow morning. You look at the clock. It’s 5:15. You decide to take the work home with you.

You head out the door, get into your car, listen to the traffic report on the radio, and . . . tmp_e829f70b84b37e570a7753f7165a561c_DBHJs1_html_36ee6f85.jpg

HOW THIS BOOK WORKS

This book is different. If you think reading a book means having to read every word from front to back, then you need a fair warning. This book is not set up that way. You don’t have to do that with this book. The goal is to help you learn how to make decisions and solve problems in the easiest, quickest, most effective, and efficient way possible. That means you can pick and choose what you want to read depending on how much you already know about decision making, how much time you have, and whether or not you like to read. It also means this book isn’t going to look like other books. The format is unique.

Yes, there are chapters and subchapters, but they are laid out differently. Here is what is included in the basic format for each chapter:

Vignette

A very short story or anecdote that sets the tone for the chapter. You should be able to read it in two or three minutes.

Principle or Principles

Dictionary.com says a principle is a fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived. The principles in this book are the basic tenets and steps you need to follow to make the best decision the first time.

Backstory

The background information behind the principles. These details may include

• The direction for the precise steps on how to execute the principles,

• Facts and figures on the principles,

• The history behind the principles,

• Why the principle is important.

Examples

Illustrations of the principles at work.

Practical Exercises

Simple activities that will give you the opportunity to try out the principles.

When You Are Working in a Team

Working with a group of people can be different from working alone. This section lists information and tips to consider when you are making a decision in a team environment.

Best Practices

A list of the things you should do to ensure you are successful in making the best decision.

Whatever You Do, Don’t . . .

A list of the things you should not do or should avoid when making the best decision. Some of these things are the exact opposites of those listed in Best Practices.

Also included in the book are:

Inside the Decider

Interspersed throughout the book are interviews I have done with people in all walks of life regarding their decision-making styles and the decisions, professional and personal, they have made.

Appendix

• A complete list of all the principles by chapter.

• A complete list, by chapter, of the tips for teams, Best Practices, and Whatever You Do, Don’t . . .

• The tools and forms mentioned in the various chapter. You are free to copy or reproduce any of the forms or information in the book. But if you are going to use this information to train someone else, please credit me.

• Bibliography. A list of possible further readings or references you might want to explore.

Here are some ideas on how best to use this book. They are actually a list of best practices for using the book. Remember, each chapter will have a list like this for the information in that chapter.

• If you want the quickest read, turn to the Appendix and read only the principles. They are outlined at the beginning of each chapter, but there is also a full list in the Appendix. The principles are freestanding yet support one another. If you come across a principle you don’t fully understand, you can go to the chapter for that principle, read more in-depth, and get some practice with the exercises.

• A good way to know if you don’t really understand a principle is to be aware of feeling stuck. This is what I call the Molasses Swamp, like in the old version of the Candy Land game. If you reach a point where the decision process isn’t going smoothly or doesn’t feel the way it should, go back to a chapter or a step and review it more thoroughly.

• If you choose, you can read every page and every word. It certainly won’t impede learning how to make the best decision the first time. But you don’t have to.

• Completing the Practical Exercises will do three things:

1. Give you the opportunity to try out the principle in a mock situation before you need to use it in an actual decision-making situation.

2. Help you become familiar with how the principle works.

3. Help you imbed the principle in your memory so when you face a decision, there is an increased likelihood you will recall its importance and how to use it. You won’t have to relearn the principle. You’ll learn more about imbedding information in your brain in the third step of the seven step process.

• If you’re working in a team environment, I highly recommend that you read those designated sections. You may understand a principle or a process, but never, ever assume your entire team is in synch with you. Even if you are not the official team leader, every member has the responsibility to ensure the team is functioning at maximum effectiveness.

• After the principles, the Best Practices section is probably the most important piece. It only makes sense to do what has already been proven successful, though keep in mind there are likely to be nuances to every situation.

• Next in importance will be the Whatever You Do, Don’t . . . lists. They are the pitfalls that can exist within each principle. Here you will learn to recognize the red flags of heading in the wrong direction and taking the roads that people easily start following even if they are the wrong roads. This can be another Molasses Swamp time. If you’re feeling stuck, take a look at these bulleted items to figure out where you may have gone off track. These items may sometimes be the exact opposite of what you find in the Best Practices list. tmp_e829f70b84b37e570a7753f7165a561c_DBHJs1_html_36ee6f85.jpg

INSIDE THE DECIDER

Subject: Dodie MacArthur

Demographics: Female. A true maven within the real estate industry in Hawaii, especially on the Big Island. Owner and president of MacArthur & Company Sotheby’s International Realty. Lives in Hawaii and in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Previous decision-making training: None.

"I always feel better after I have made a decision. You can’t run a business if you’re not a decision maker. It is the only way to move forward. And I always look forward. I don’t look back. The decisions I have made in the past are just that, past. I never spend time regretting my decisions.

"I started making decisions at a very young age. Both my parents worked, so I was a latchkey kid. I was on my own from the end of the school day until my parents returned. I was always making decisions. And my parents supported that type of independent thinking. They wanted me to be able to think and decide on my own.

"I also don’t look at failures. I focus on what I can decide and how I can move forward. I’ve made business decisions that haven’t worked out. That led me to make other decisions.

"Even though I like having decisions done and out of the way, there are times it is best to let them sit for a bit. I once had an agent ask for something that I felt was unfair and unjustified. I knew what my answer was going to be, but instead of answering her right away, I chose to wait. That left her having to think and rethink her position. It put the onus of the situation back on her, not me, which is where it belonged.

"I do move on decisions; I also have a life partner, my husband of over forty years, who is a great sounding board, and I have a team I can turn to for input. They provide me with balance