This morning it dawned on me that I haven’t been employed by someone now since 1990, when I left my job as an advertising copy writer. That’s 22 years of fending for myself! I realised that not only am I totally unemployable now, but that I’ve also become quite wise in certain areas.
One of these areas is decision making. I used to agonize over business decisions and lose sleep at night worrying if I’d made the right decision. Now I make decisions quickly and easily. And I rarely lose sleep over it.
I’ve learned that when faced with pretty much any choice, you have two things to help you decide the right answer: 1. Facts 2. Your gut
To come to the right conclusion you first need to ensure you have all you need in the first category. Don’t try to make a decision without all the facts in front of you. Apply your left brain logic to what the facts are telling you. For example, if choosing between two potential candidates for a senior position, start with the information you have on each and ensure you carefully consider what the facts are telling you.
Then, armed with logic, switch out of your left brain completely and check in with your gut. This is where the true wisdom lies. Close your eyes and listen to the inner voice. If there is a warning coming through, hear it and act on it.
My business partner Lisa and I laugh about this when it comes to hiring new pet carers. Every single time we’ve had a bad gut feeling on someone and gone ahead an employed them anyway, they have let us down in some way. Every single time! Now if either of us says we have a bad feeling, the other listens and we act on the feeling alone.
Remember this next time you are wrestling with a difficult decision. Follow the two step process. Weigh up the facts. Then trust your gut.
From the desk of liber8yourbusiness. Business mentors and experts in small business exit strategies.