Part 2 of 2: On coaching to make big decisions …. If you missed the part 1 post, click here — you’ll read  the coaching questions which led me to these answers.

And so here, I share with you my personal list of “filters” –my decision criteria.

After I’ve gone through these, I sit back and reflect, because a checklist is never enough. Thinking and integrating still has to happen. Considering the answers altogether helps me next.

Business — Big decisions filter – when to reach out:

• For on the spot decisions requested: slow down the process. “Let’s discuss all angles – what do we need here, all of us?” Or take it away to think about when I have more focused time.
• If the dollar amount feels high.
• If the commitment may take up personal time (balance).
• If it would be a new, regular commitment (long term view of value)
• If it is or feels out of my comfort zone — Never done before (or have I !? Sometimes I think I haven’t but I have.)

Decision criteria –Here’s where I start:

• Time commitment. Does anything else go away in this time period to allow space for this?
• What’s the possible revenue? Or what’s the expense involved (to compare with value)?
• If it’s a class or some other learning opportunity, how will I apply what I learn. (I could be a full time student, so I have to watch the  balance  here.)
• Which current or future business goals does this support & how?
• Can I use this near term on a specific project? If for the future, can I do  it then, closer to when I’ll need it instead?
• Does this move the ball down the field? Worth giving up something short term for where I want to end up?
• Does this play to my strengths? Can I do my best work, what I’m passionate about?
• Can I learn something about myself?
• And now, Sue: have you asked for what YOU need? Or are you simply responding to what’s been put in front of you.
• Still not ready to decide? Then how could you change the  game to get more of what you need.

I hope this will help you, if you get stuck on making big decisions or if you’ve been curious about how the organizer-coaching process could work for you.

Here’s to great decisions – or ones we learn from !

Tags: choices, home office, time management

This entry was posted on Monday, June 20th, 2011 at 5:45 pm and is filed under Change, Habits, Home Office, Inside My World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.