Making Decisions


I've been interviewing my mentors about decision making to improve my decision making skills. I have noticed a common thread in all these conversations with how they handle decisions.

When making decisions, especially under pressure, step back. Take a moment, or sleep on the decision. Observe the context, be aware of the environment—sometimes environment forces a certain decision. Try to understand the pressures on the situation. Be as clear as possible on what is actually happening.

Ask for help when making decisions. This is especially important during emergencies, if you have enough time. If you get stuck between options, pick a few that feel better and run it by a mentor or friend.

Consider future impact your decision will have. Ask yourself: does this meet our department's vision? Does it fulfill the organization's goals? What impact will this have on us in the future? K-12 organizations are people organizations, and even small decisions can ripple through the organization.

Consider this question when making really big decisions: Do I want a job or the opportunity to make a difference? (If the decision doesn't work out, it’s ok to go find another job, it's not the end of the world.) In essence, this gets to the core of the question: why do you do what you do? Do you want to make a splash and improve the lives of the people you serve or are you just there for a paycheck? These gutsy decisions have the potential to change the world, if we're brave enough.

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