Decision Making: Know Thy Boat; Know Thyself

I am a boater. And like many boaters, I have owned several boats over the years; every one bigger, nicer and more expensive than the previous one.

When will it stop? I think now.

Why? Because the current boat was acquired only after a detailed specification, analysis and decision process was completed. A list of ten “must have” boat features was developed and each potential acquisition was evaluated against this list. The boat therefore was selected objectively and with less emotion. There was some subjectivity – one of the specifications was: “nice lines” – but most of the process was quite straightforward.

This decision process is one that I have used many times with my clients. When faced with with complex decisions in life and in business, it pays to invest time and effort in a comprehensive decision process.