3 Simple Steps to Conquer Decision Making
The Decision Matrix is an Actionable Tool to Help You Decide What To Do and When
We’ve all experienced the feeling of being so overwhelmed at work we don’t know where to start. Even the most seasoned business leaders can get stuck in decision paralysis, overthinking options and slowing down progress.
The truth is that indecision wastes time, energy, and momentum, and causes frustration in the workplace. Yet it happens quite easily and often.
That’s why I developed my Decision Matrix Tool. The goal is to help leaders save time, prioritize effectively, and align their leadership with what matters most for you and your business.
Step One: Define your Priorities
The first step is simple yet important: define two to three core priorities. Then break it down by asking yourself, what do you need to achieve this week, this quarter, this year, and beyond to reach those goals. These guide rails will help guide your day and ensure that your minutes are being used wisely.
The bottom line is that every task should be able to answer the question “does this align with my core priorities?” If it doesn’t serve the mission, it’s not worth your time.
Step Two: Categorize Your Tasks
The best way to create a to-do list is by categorizing your tasks based on importance and urgency. I like to put mine in four categories.
● Urgent and Important. Tasks that require immediate attention and align with core priorities. Do these tasks now.
● Important, but not Urgent. Tasks that fit into your core priorities but can be done later. Do these tasks later.
● Urgent, but not Important. Delegate these time sensitive (yet low stakes) tasks to an employee - potentially as part of a stretch exercise or other career building proposition.
● Neither Urgent nor Important. Remove from your list.
We look at some examples below.
Step Three: Organize and Execute
My free-to-download Decision Matrix Tool can help to keep track of and organize tasks by providing a simple and easy to digest spreadsheet. However, this can also be done by hand by creating a list of tasks and putting them into the four different quadrants. There is no right or wrong way to organize and execute these tasks, so long as they are categorized correctly.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at work. But if you put in the effort upfront to define your priorities and categorize your to-do list, you will be well on your way to completing your checklist and moving your business closer to its goals.
- Karen Gilhooly
Author of The Three Bucket Leader
Host of the Make Minutes Matter Podcast
You can pre-order The Three Bucket Leader here.
Read other helpful articles to improve your life, work and leadership:
5 Simple Ways to Achieve Better Work/Life Balance
10 Tips to Master Teamwork: Overcome Challenges for Organizational Success
