On average, we make tens of thousands of decisions a day. Of course, not all of these decisions are conscious or difficult, but each and every one of them has consequences. Depending on your professional role, you may make five to ten really important decisions each day. These are decisions that can impact many people positively or negatively, including your construction company as a whole.

If decisions are a replicable process, especially for the most important decisions, we could increase efficiency.

Here are some tips to help you make faster, better decisions:

Reflect first: In many industries, including construction, decisions need to be made in minutes, not hours. Regardless of the timeframe you have to make your decision, always take the time (as much as you have) to reflect upon the situation and the potential consequences. If you can address the most pressing part of the matter right away, do so. From there, break down the more complex portions of the issue before making your final decision.

Break it down: You might feel paralyzed when faced with a particularly difficult decision. The best thing to do? Break it up to manageable smaller decisions. First, gather all the facts, and then slowly work your way toward an answer. This can be done by making a simple pro and con list to help look at the situation from all angles.

Stop expecting perfect: While it is true that every decision has consequences, good and bad, there is no such thing as a perfect decision. A “perfect outcome” does not truly exist. Acknowledge that whatever decision you make will stem from the “imperfect information” you have at that time.

Remember that not making a decision, is a decision: As previously mentioned, time is not necessarily on your side when it comes to making important decisions. The longer you take to make a decision, the harder it is to do so. Mulling over an issue can cause paralysis by analysis. No decision, especially when it comes to professional matters, is ultimately a decision, of inaction. This can have significant consequences for your project, staff, and career.

Ask for feedback: Feedback is a great way to check in on how you are doing. If you are tasked with making many big decisions, ask colleagues to help you reflect on how your decisions have impacted the organization for better or worse. Learning from the consequences of past decisions will help you make better – and faster – decisions in the future.

Decisions are part of your everyday life, which means that there are some tricks to help with the process. By using the above tactics, you can make better decisions, faster on both the worksite as well as in your personal life.

Photo by Jens Lelie on Unsplash