How To Make Better Decisions At Work

How To Make Better Decisions At Work Indecision has plagued me all my life. I had FOMO before FOMO welches a thing stressing out about what top to wear in my tweens, which classes to take in college, and now, what neighborhood to live in or whether or not to get a dog. Those are all innocuous enough, but when FOMO strikes at the office when Im on deadlineabout which photo or aber sicher choice to use, among other thingsit becomes a practical problem.If youve ever become gridlocked in your own brain, struggling to make a decision one way or another, you know how paralyzing it can beand how it can mess with efficiency and time management on the job. I asked career expert and consultant Becki Saltzman, author of Living Curiously How to Use Curiosity to be Remarkable and Do Good Stuff, for her best advice on how to make better, smarter, faster decisions at work.Be CuriousConfirmation bias makes us want to believe that the evidence or facts were seeing support what we already think or kno w (election 2016, anyone?). When it comes to making a big or fast decision, though, staying open-minded will create a better outcome, says Saltzman.When we remain curious about other opinions and perspectives, were not blindsided when we learn that what we believe is not always the case. Stepping out of our comfort zones is not only good for a curious and adventurous lifeit genuinely helps the decision-making process.If your problem isnt taking too long to make decisions, but rather making decisions too quickly without looking at all the different aspects of a complex situation, you could end up regretting your choice.Dont Be Swayed By What Others Would DoOf course it makes sense that youd want managers to weigh in on a big work decision, or that you might imagine what a professional mentor would do in your shoes, but remember that if its your decision to make, you should ultimately think for yourselfeven if that means its unpopular or controversial in the moment. All of our decisio n-making is influenced by the same persuasion principles social proof, reciprocity, scarcity, likability, authority, and consistency, says Saltzman.In the case of social proof, the opinions of friends and peers sometimes carry too much weight, which can breed even more indecision. Before you rely too much on others input, Saltzman suggests you weigh how well these people know the specific topic or situationdo they really know it better than you?and their own track records of decision-making. Either way, its best to rely on your own expertise, knowledge, experience, and instincts if its your decision to make.Realize That Done Can Be Better Than GoodIf your issue, like mine, is more often to overthink than oversimplify decision-making, you may want to think of this as your new mantra Sometimes, done really is better than good. Sometimes I put off making a decision because I want to keep thinking or considering whether there are better options than the ones Ive already thought of. But the deadline starts creeping up and I realize its just time to make a calland often, the best idea or headline was one of the first ones I came up with, and I was just overanalyzing it.For decisions that require swift action, there is very little positive side to indecision, says Saltzman. For complex decisions and decisions that require more thought, impulsivity is not optimal. The key is to be curious enough to evaluate the differences between impulsivity, anxiety-produced indecision, analysis paralysis, and proper analysis that wisely slows the decision process. Either way, the more practice you get in making decisions, the better youll get at doing itespecially if you use these techniques.--This article was originally published on SheKnows.com.Related stories5 Women on the Thrills and Challenges of Working in Tech15 jobs with flexible schedules for busy working momsFlexible part-time jobs for students can seriously offset college expensesFairygodboss is committed to improving th e workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer