Common Decision-Making Mistakes

Sound decision-making is a critical entrepreneurial skill set.

Developing even a relatively straight forward WordPress site requires dozens of decisions; each of which can define your brand or effect the position of your enterprise within a category, We have found that developing a website or a marketing campaign can be an extremely stressful time for the business owner. Hundreds of decisions must be made. At the end of the process if those decisions have been made with consistency of purpose and in alignment with the company’s stated mission and vision, the marketing plan is successfully executed.

When a marketing initiative is successfully launched and our client is happy and profitable, Pleiades Publishing has fulfilled its mission — helping another client bring his or her message to the world.

As competent decision-making is such an critical entrepreneurial proficiency, we thought to share some of the insights we’ve gathered over the years. Each of us would like to believe that we do not have any prejudices or biases, but the fact is that everyone does. The more aware we are of our beliefs, the better off we will be. The main reason everyone has their own way of viewing the world is because our brains simply cannot take in everything, at least not on a conscious level.

Have you ever tried to learn ten new things all at once?

If you have, you know that it is very easy to become overwhelmed and end up learning very little at all. That is because of the way the brain works. Our brains screen and categorize information so that we can understand the world around us without being overwhelmed by it. We get into trouble when we fail to realize that many of the perceptions we hold are based on what society (i.e., parents, teachers, the church, all institutions, etc.) teach us, not what we actually know to be true.

Below is a list of the most common decision-making mistakes.
By learning about these pitfalls now, you will be able to avoid them in the future.

1. Relying too much on expert information. Oftentimes, people have a tendency to place too much emphasis on what experts say. Remember, experts are only human and have their own set of biases and prejudices just like the rest of us. By seeking information from a lot of different sources, you will get much better information than if you focused all of your energy on only one source.
2. Overestimating the value of information received from others. People have a tendency to overestimate the value of certain individuals in our society and underestimate the value of others. For instance, experts, authority figures, parents, high status groups, people who seem to have it all together, and people we respect have a way of swaying our opinion based simply on the fact that we believe they know more than we do. When you find yourself doing this, ask yourself: Do they know as much about this problem as I do? Are their values the same as mine? Have they had any personal experiences with a problem like mine? In other words, keep their opinions in perspective.
3. Underestimating the value of information received from others. Whether we realize it or not, we also have a tendency to discount information we receive from individuals such as children, low status groups, women (yes, believe it!), the elderly, homemakers, blue-collar workers, artists, etc. This is unfortunate since many times these groups can paint a good picture of the other side of your problem. In other words, these groups may use entirely different values and perceptions in their answers to your questions. The result is a larger perspective of what the issues really are. Just make a note that if you find yourself discounting the information you receive from anyone, make sure you ask yourself why.
4. Only hearing what you want to hear or seeing what you want to see. Try this exercise. Ask a friend to look around them and make note of everything that is green. Now, have them close their eyes. Once their eyes are closed, ask them to tell you what around them is red. Almost everyone you ask will not be able to tell you what was red because they were focusing on what was green. Our perceptions work the same way. If we have expectations or biases that we are not aware of, we tend to see what we want to see. Likewise, if someone tries to tell us something we do not want to hear, we simply do not hear him or her. This is a common mistake that many people make. The key is to be aware of your own prejudices and expectations while at the same time staying open to everything that comes your way.
5. Not listening to your feelings or gut reactions. Have you ever made a decision only to have it be followed by a major stomachache or headache? This is your body talking to you. Our brains are constantly taking in more information than we can consciously process. All of this extra information gets buried in our subconscious. Although we may not be able to retrieve this information, our body stores it for us until it is needed. In moments when we need to make a decision, our bodies provide clues to the answer through feelings or gut reactions. Unfortunately, our society teaches us to ignore these feelings, but by tuning into your intuition, you will find that you will make much better decisions in the long run.

The original source for some of this material was a SBA pamphlet. Over the years I have expanded the information to help my graphic design clients improve their decision-making processes.

If you need support for your next big marketing choice, Contact Pleiades WebCenter and let us help you, “Build a web site that will make you money” one good decision at a time.