THE FIRST STEP TO MAKING GOOD BUSINESS DECISIONS

The idea of decision is not entirely strange to anyone; whether consciously or unconsciously, we all make decisions every day. From the moment you step out of bed till you close your eyes at night, lots of decisions have been made already.

If everyone makes decisions on a norm, thinking about the concept concerning business should not be altogether strange. Right from the inception of a business idea, decisions are made and it never stops. The continuous success or otherwise of a business depends entirely on the decisions of the management. As business life goes on, the job of decision-making becomes more sensitive, especially as a large amount of money gradually becomes involved.

Contrary to popular ideas, decision-making is not exclusive to the CEO or leader of the firm; every one in the business team, at their different levels of operation, also make decisions that directly or indirectly affect the business.

While the effect of some of the CEO’s decisions may be seen in the short term, the effect of bad decisions from other staff members are often slow but also damning. Yes, everything rises and falls with the leadership, but it does not exclude the staff. The decision of attitude to work, customer relations, loyalty, and others are not solely in the hand of the CEO. This is the meaning of becoming a good team player; responsibility.

The first step to making good business decisions is to understand that regardless of your level in the business firm, your decisions matter.

For instance, the decision of who to hire is usually for top management in most firms, but what about the decision of good work ethics, or being detail-oriented? Those decisions are within the power of the staff.

And this has nothing to do with the salary package; the moment any member of the business team thinks that their decision does not affect the business firm, it will remove that sense of responsibility and caution.

In most Nigeria-based organizations and of course, even abroad, staffers work for the money.

Although money is a necessity, I think that becoming a good team player will require something beyond the money mentality; the vision of the firm should be the driving force, the solution the firm is providing, and the customer base the organization is serving.

Life has to be more important than money. As everyone places value on the lives (people) attached to the business, they will become more conscious of their decisions.

“Surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, and physiotherapists are not the only ones who should be careful ‘cos they deal with human lives; business owners and staffers too should be. As long as what you do comes in contact with human life, you should feel as much caution as medical practitioners.”