MAKING DECISIONS with Less Stress.

The unrelenting chore of having to make decisions may be one of the most imposing stressors of all. Society, today, is awash with material goods and service options. Whatever you want or need to acquire, there are more brands, features, or options than you can comfortably fathom. On the job, you face an endless stream of decisions regarding equipment and supplies; subscriptions; which calls to return; what to file and where; what to schedule and when; whom to call on and whom to ignore; and which tasks to tackle and which to delegate--among dozens of others.

Two groups of executives were surveyed. Both groups were comprised of individuals all of whom were facing a purchasing decision. The first group of executives made their decision based on news and information, collected spec sheets and other data. The second group made their decisions based on instinct--gut feeling--with a dearth of data.

After three weeks, when each group had the time to see the ramifications of their decision, everyone was polled again to determine how happy they were with the decision. As it turns out, the second group--those who chose based on instinct and intuition--were happier with their decision. How could this be? They were happier because they weren't deluged with data, but more importantly, because they weren't making a decision out of the blue. Every cell of their being--all of their intelligence, down to the cellular level--was brought to bear behind that decision. Instinctive decisions aren't made out of the blue, but are based on a complex set of decision-making guidelines that have been developed over the years.

If it's Good Enough for the General...

General Colin Powell said that one of the reasons he was able to make effective decisions in his military career was that he would wait until he had about 60 percent of the data that he could amass for a decision, and then would make his choice, rather than wait for all the information.

More data before choosing is not always desirable. Enough data exists to lead to all answers, which clearly gets in the way of choosing. Many people tend to seek out information that confirms or reinforces what they already know or believe. By collecting more data, are you merely defending against a worst-case scenario? Or, are you simply supporting your initial position? What you're collecting could lack balance, which could lead to a poor choice.