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Many of us have been taught to think before we speak and look before we leap. Why do you think that is? It’s because the words we speak or the actions we take have consequences.
It’s best to consider the consequences of your decisions before you act on them. It’s a good habit to consider the way your decisions will impact those around you. Even in the workplace, making a rash decision can have a serious impact on the organization and its people. And so, showing good judgment is critical to decision-making.
Good judgment means exercising caution and care before making a decision. It’s about evaluating your options, being critical of your own bias(es) and considering different perspectives. Harappa Education’s Making Decisions course will teach you how to address your biases and understand the importance of being an objective decision-maker. Let’s explore the meaning of good judgment and different ways of showing good judgment.
Definition Of Good Judgment
How do you interpret the information that’s available to you? You exercise good judgment, consider things you know already and evaluate the risks involved. The meaning of good judgment is to assess a situation before you act on it.
For instance, say that you have to finalize the sales projections for a new product at work. You’ll first take into account the target market, production viability and your department’s budget. Imagine if you simply launch your ad campaign without a customer profile in mind. You’ll be stretched thin trying to find a link between your sales points and the end-user.
Good judgment will help you be more accountable for your decisions and mitigate errors in the decision-making process.
How To Show Good Judgment
Good judgment comes from experience. It’s not an innate ability that we’re born with. It’s natural to make a few bad decisions before you become a good decision-maker. With practice and experience, you can exercise good judgment in life and at work. Let’s explore three ways in which you can learn to show good judgment:
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Separate Emotions From Decision-Making
Human beings are emotional and complex; it’s hard for us to think objectively. In some cases, our emotional capacity can help us empathize with a colleague or a friend. But when it comes to decision-making, rational thinking should be free from emotion. For instance, imagine that you have to pick your new sales team. Instead of choosing your friends or people you get along with, you’ll benefit more if you pick people who have the right experience and expertise.
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Get Rid Of Biases And Prejudice
Biases can cloud our judgment during decision-making. We form a bias based on what we already know and make little effort to learn more about a person or a situation. There are many types of biases that we have to tackle. Some of these are ‘overconfidence’, ‘confirmation bias’, ‘anchoring bias’ and ‘availability bias’.
Each of these biases depends on preconceived ideas and pre-existing information. For instance, it’s a human tendency to judge someone based on a first impression. We’re more likely to form an opinion about someone as soon as we meet them. This hinders our ability to think about them objectively. They may be good at their job, but many of us are reluctant to give them an opportunity.
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Communicate Ideas And Invite Collaboration
Communication and collaboration while exercising good judgment are critical in a professional setting. Instead of making decisions independently, it’s ideal to engage key stakeholders in the process. These could be your teammates, managers and clients. Brainstorming ideas will help identify possible gaps in the plan of action, account for uncertainties and bring a wider perspective to the table.
Exercising good judgment will help you become a better professional at work. Discover ways to become a reliable and objective decision-maker with Harappa Education’s Making Decisions course. The Harappa PRISM (Process-Reflection-Information-Skepticism-Multiple Perspectives) framework will help you mitigate the impact of your biases on your decisions. You’ll learn how to monitor your biases and come up with effective ways to reach a favorable outcome. Learn how to turn your mistakes into successes and become more confident in your decision-making abilities!
Explore topics such as Decision Making, the Steps of Decision Making, How to Make Decisions, the Decision Making Methods & the Process of Strategic Decision Making from our Harappa Diaries blog section and develop your skills.
