October 10, 2014
Improve Your Decision Making With This Simple Checklist
Tom Hallett
©©GettyImages/michaelmjc
There are many factors that we need to consider when we make a decision. But it's all too easy to plow ahead without considering it from all angles.
For instance, I've lost count of the number of poor decisions I've made because I was overly optimistic and didn't stop to consider the downsides, or whether what I had decided would help me achieve my goals. And we've all been in a position where we were afraid to criticize ideas in case we upset colleagues or our boss.
This is where the ORAPAPA checklist comes in handy. It highlights seven key elements that you should consider when you make a decision. Together they give you a well-rounded view of your options. Implementing ORAPAPA also gives the people involved in the decision-making process permission to voice their opinions, even when their views differ. Read our article to learn how to use it.
Using ORAPAPA won't guarantee that you'll make the right decision every time. But it will mean that you'll have all the information you need to increase your chances of success.
Question: When have you made a bad decision, and how could ORAPAPA have helped you avoid this?
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I clearly remember one specific situation that led me to ponder motivation. I passed by the secondary school where students were having P.E. outside. They were doing laps, the teacher barking orders at them, and I noticed one was lagging
Something that would definitely have helped me in the past was spending more time on looking at the risks. Because of my rebel nature I often chose to overlook risks deliberately. Or I acknowledged that there were risks, but chose not to think about them objectively. Of course I paid the 'tuition fees' for those decisions - and eventually learned the lesson!