Decision Making; Good, Bad And The Ugly!

Do you struggle with making the right or best decisions on really difficult subjects, such as career, relationship and family? Do you find yourself going round and round, ruminating on your decision until its too late, and you find yourself in the unenviable position of having to make spur of the moment choices? Well, if youre like most people, and statistics show you are, then you to are handicapped by paralysis analysis. Fortunately Im here to provide you with a litmus test that you can run your decisions through, but this test will not pull the trigger for you; thats still your responsibility!

SMART U. is the training organization that my partner and I created initially to educate sale professionals on how to better communicate with their clients and prospects. This mission has grown to include all individuals who seek to improve their communication skills and SMART U. is particularly adept at helping because of SMART stands for. SMART is an acronym for Servant, Magnetic, Authentic, Resource and Transformative and is our theory on the backbone of what facilitates successful communication, the development of strong relationships and an internal compass that always points true North.

Heres an example of how to use the SMART acronym to make a decision. Say your organization has presented you with a new widget to sell to your clients, how do you decide that its in you and your clients best interest to take this new widget for a test drive?
1.Serve: Who does the product serve and does it serve them? What problem does it solve, theirs, mine, both of ours or no ones? Of course, your best solutions benefit both the seller and the buyer, but Im sure you wouldnt be surprised how often it seems the sellers lead with whats in it for them.
2.Magnetic: Is this product or solution going to make me more or less attractive to those I seek to serve?
3.Authentic: Does this product or service match my stated values or is it a quick fix?
4.Resources: What resources will the selling of this product or service require and what will it give in turn to me and my client?
5.Transformative: How will this product or service positively change the clients process or systems?

hat if youre driving down the road and another driver cuts you off, many people today immediately react with some level of rage, Ive done it, and Im sure you have, but what if you could put this reaction to the test:
1.Who am I serving by getting angry? Certainly not yourself and most certainly not passengers in your vehicle or other drivers!
2.Is my reaction making me more attractive to those around me? Absolutely not! How do you feel when youre around someone who is in a rage?
3.Is my rage authentic with who I want to be and who I profess to be to others? Probably not, but if it is I believe change is in order!
4.What valuable resources is my reaction requiring? What kind of energy are you wasting in being angry?
5.Is my behavior positively or negatively transformative on those around me? You know this answer!

Next time you have to make a decision put it to the SMART U. test! Until my next article consider joining my weekly coaching calls by registering with this link. https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/633060643