Effective decision making has been identified as one of the main determinants of success or failure in an organization. In a rapidly changing business world, enterprises and companies have realized that they cannot let cumbersome decision-making processes reign. The quest to improve on decision-making process has led organizations to put in place management structures around teams. They have adopted lateral decision making which has replaced the top-down decision making which has dominated for long. This is an effort to bring decisions closer to the action. However, despite these efforts variables have been observed in the ability of employees to make the right decisions. These variations have been traced to varying strengths and talents. In my organization, the manager has requested that every employee should take the StregthFinder test and has asked me to put together a training tool on how to best coach and develop employees. In this paper, I will examine the decision making process among employees with differing strengths.
Decision Making Process for Employees with Two Different Strengths
A Strength is anything that we can do effortlessly and often with a perfect outcome. Any activity that we do unwillingly, even if with good results, is not a strength (O’keefe, 2017). The major test for a strength is if the particular activity causes the doer to experience intrinsic satisfaction or joy at the end (O’keefe, 2017). Every individual has their strengths and weaknesses.
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Employees with great decision making strengths follow a process that ensures they are taking into account all relevant information presented to them and consider each of the probable outcomes of their decision. These individuals demonstrate a great ability in identifying all options and comparing them in terms of costs and effectiveness (Doyle, 2018). Their decision making process follows a series of steps which include defining the problem, opportunity or challenge, coming up with as many solution as possible to the problem, evaluating the costs and benefits associated with each option, selecting a solution or response, implementing the option chosen and finally assessing the impact of the decision and modifying the course of action when necessary (Doyle, 2018). A good example is a cost accounting manager who is evaluating the impact of several cost-cutting measures presented to him to improve the financial health of a particular company. If the accountant has great strength in decision making, he/she will follow the six steps highlighted above.
Individuals with poor decision-making strengths are the opposite of those with strong decision-making skills. Such individuals make decisions that are merely focused on the immediate outcome hence they tend to overlook the quality of the decision that they make. Besides, such individuals are not reflective and don’t make an effort to gather sufficient information before making decisions. Moreover, they do not trust themselves or their abilities when evaluating available options. Instead, they are heavily influenced by the environment and external factors. Due to these inefficiencies, such individuals find themselves in the wrong and do not positively contribute to the growth of their organizations. For example, a business manager who is faced with the decision whether to close a certain branch or not will take a rash decision without evaluating the long-term implications of the decision made.
How Managers Can Develop Employees with Different Strengths
There are numerous ways that manager can use to develop decision making among employees with different strengths in their organizations. One of the ways is the use of the StreghFinder. The StreghtFinder is a test developed by a group of scientists and psychologists with an aim of helping people uncover their natural abilities. The philosophy behind the test is that everyone has natural talents and that we can excel furthest in life if we focus on elevating our personal strengths rather than balancing our weaknesses. The test helps employees realize areas where there have great natural ability and the most potential. Once the managers understand how the employees are wired, they can know what decisions come naturally from them (Freeburg, 2014). Besides, they will have a better understanding of the timing of the employee’s decisions. A good example is where the StrengthFinder test establishes that two employees have strategic and deliberative mindsets respectively. The manager will now anticipate the strategic employee to make many decisions out of which a substantial number won’t work. On the other hand, he/she will expect the deliberative employee to make few decisions out of which only few won’t work.
Another way through which managers can improve decision making among employees is by using daily interactions to maximize the employee strengths. An effective manager has a habit of interacting with their employees frequently. This constant positive interaction makes the employees feel more engaged in their work. Moreover, it helps makes it much easier for them to discuss areas of need and work to improve them. Thus, they make better decisions at the end of the day. Decision-making ability can also be improved by ensuring that the employees know their strengths. The managers should be keen enough to know the strengths of their employees and disclose this to them. This build confidence in the employees enabling them to make better decisions.
Conclusion
From the above, it is evident that decision-making ability is key to the success of any organization or enterprise. Employees with good decision-making abilities make informed decisions that are cognizant of cost and effectiveness. Such employees are a great resource for their companies or organizations in a highly competitive business environment where even one wrong decision is tantamount to a great financial loss. Given the differing human abilities, the best way for managers to enhance decision making is by helping employees know their strengths and providing a conducive environment where they can exhibit these strengths. This will lead to improved decision making in the various levels of organizations.
Reference
Doyle, A. (2018, June 8).Decision-Making Skills with Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/decision-making-skills-with-examples-1063748
Freeburg, N. (2014, October 18).How StrengthsFinder Can Help Your Team Make Decisions. Retrieved from http://www.leadershipvisionconsulting.com/how-strengthsfinder-can-help-your-team-make-decisions/
O’keefe, P. (2017, Jan 18).How successful Organizations Maximize Employee Streghts.Retrieved from http://connect.edgetrainingsystems.com/blog/how-successful-organizations-maximize-employee-strengths
