Peter Drucker on making decisions

In his book An Introductory View of Management, Peter Drucker, on Section 29, gives us a text about the effective decision.

The section opens talking about the model of decision making in Japan - Drucker was among the first to realize that Japan would become a development model for the industrialized world. He explains that the Japanese spend most of the time devoted to decision-making trying to understand the problem and not to decide. In the West, we have the habit of seeking first the answer, as they seek first the question.

Although all the cultural differences produce very different contexts, this habit of building a good first question brings some significant advantages, although, apparently, takes time to the answer emerges.

The most important thing is that the process of construction of the problem requires us to assess whether the problem actually exists in the proportion that demands a response. In some cases the best thing to do is nothing. Secondly, the process of construction of the problem itself brings with it the cooptation for the idea. Usually, after we decide, our idea must be sold to the team. If our subordinates participate in the problem analysis, the process itself sells the idea. When we decide, the idea is already purchased by the team.

Third, build a problem requires critical vision of reality, of our own views and the views of others. The ideia that we start from the facts is not true: we always look at our own opinions and search for facts that confirm that we want to prove. If we are required to formulate a good question before giving an answer, this will lead us to criticize the opinions of our own and others, in a healthy process of criticism and self-criticism.

Another advantage of well-built question is that after the decision is made things move faster, since an important part of the road has been traveled before.

An important aspect in building a decision is to know who are involved when a decision is made: "who should be aware of this decision?", "what steps need to be taken from the moment the decision is made?" "who should take these steps?" and "what action will be necessary before that who should take actually do it?". Do not think that just a decision will makes things happen. You, as a manager, must provide conditions to things happen.

Last but not least, is monitoring - continuous proof in relation to reality of the expectations on which the decision was made. After all, few decisions result exactly as expected.

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