THE DECISION-MAKING SKILL THAT MATTERS

Follow this science-backed trick for making smarter and quicker decisions that’ll work in your favour

When it comes to making big life decisions, it is difficult. Choosing between apartments is torturous. Should you pick the one in the more desirable location or the one with more space? The one with enticing amenities or the one with a slightly-cheaper rent? There’s also a bit of meta-decision-making anxiety that goes on: How should you choose? Make a list of pros and cons? Ask a bunch of friends and relatives? Go with your gut?

A bit of simple decisionmaking advice featured recently in the Harvard Business Review: “Adopt a fly-on-the-wall perspective.” That is to say, make the decision as though you’re making it for someone else.

The author, Evan Polman, an assistant professor of marketing at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, cites a paper he co-wrote about the different ways people make decisions for themselves and for others. The researchers conducted multiple studies with over 1,000 people, in which they asked them to choose between restaurants, job options, or dating profiles, either for themselves or for someone else. As it turned out, people were more cautious when choosing for themselves, examining the nitty-gritty of each individual option as closely as possible. And they were more adventurous when choosing for someone else, preferring to look at as many options as possible.

Be action-oriented

Polman writes that when we make recommendations to someone else, we tend to be more optimistic and action-oriented. “When making their own choices, people tend to envision everything that could go wrong, leading to doubt and second-guesses.” Based on these findings, Polman recommends that everyone should have a mentor, or a blunt friend who can help people see and act.

Be your own friend

Using the fly-on-the-wall perspective, according to Polman, you act as your own advisor. It may even be effective to refer to yourself in the thirdperson when considering an important decision as though you’re addressing someone else. Instead of asking yourself, ‘What should I do?’ ask yourself ‘What should you do?’. Susan David, the author of Emotional Agility, says that the best way to distance yourself from your thoughts and feelings is to think of someone you respect and imagine what you would advise that person if they were in your situation.

Source | Economic Times | 14^th December 2018

Regards

Mr. Pralhad Jadhav

Master of Library & Information Science (NET Qualified)

Research Scholar

Senior Manager – Library

Khaitan & Co

Blog | https://pralhad-fyilibrarian.blogspot.com/

Website | https://sites.google.com/site/pralhadjadhavlib/home

Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978

Mobile | 9665911593