Making & Implementing Decisions

Joan Rivers, Bill Gates, Scott Zuckerberg, Oprah and now You. For most of us, the lack of meaningful accomplishment is predicated upon the lack of understanding of how to facilitate educated decisions and the trap of falling into “Paralysis-of-Analysis”, which is considered by most business schools to be the greatest detriment to entrepreneurial and business success, and effectiveness today.
Although we live in a vibrant evolving world, the dynamics of understanding and taking control of the decision making process as a 360 life cycle that never ends, only re-loops endlessly, is an effective way to ensure sound decision making while maintaining the speed necessary in today’s business. The answer lies within a powerful four letter formula. Since this formula was designed, it has been embraced and used by IBM to significantly increase the effectiveness of their planning, analysis, and implementation processes. Pfi zer Pharmaceuticals adopted the formula to increase teaming and sales effectiveness, and to resolve selling oriented conflicts. And industry leader CareerTrack Seminars, for more than a decade, used this formula as the foundation of their bestselling day-long business professional skills training seminar. What is that four-letter formula? S.T.O.P. The S.T.O.P.
Model allows you to facilitate a controlled and non-combative conversation through the four psychological steps of the decision making process. With this model, you can attack procrastination, paralysis-of-analysis, fear from impeding the decision process, and more importantly, impeding the execution or implementation actions of productivity today. The four steps to the model and decision process are:
S - Stop and See what the Stimulant is to be addressed, what is the Situation or challenge to be addressed. Identify the WHAT factors to the conversation and decision issues. If everyone knows what we are here to talk about, then proceed with it.
T - Target and Think through the reasons why the “S” is worthy of conversation and explore the reasons behind the it, making sure you and everyone else understand the reasons for the topic, need, issue, challenge. Th is is where the case for the “S” must be made and is where you gain the buy-in of others or not. While ample analysis and investigation are critical, you can logically move forward to the third step.
O - Organize Options around how to address the “S”. Once an idea for addressing the “S” is developed, there is no assurance that it is the most viable if there are not other options to weigh against it. Use this step to generate multiple action plans. Spend the majority of time of the four letters in this stage, ensures greater final output, and provides for needed backup plans should your initial implementation plan implode. With this step accomplished, you will always have a backup plan. And great synergy may take place from the push forward to not just come up with one solution and proceed to the final step.
P - Pick the most viable Option and Proceed. If there are implementation problems, the beauty of having completed all four steps is that you will always have a backup plan (step three). With implementation implemented with all appropriate personalities involved in all steps, now reapply the S.T.O.P. Model to ensure continued success. And always make the decision process a learning process for all subsequent decision making and implementation needs. The S.T.O.P. Model is a simple yet explosive way to facilitate decision making and to build a re-evaluation loop into the four-step model to verify the implementation process to ensure your “P” is always real-time relevant. Jeff Magee (Ph.D., PDM, CSP, CMC) is the “Thought Leader’s Leader,” the publisher of PERFORMANCE360 Magazine: www.ProfessionalPerformanceMagazine.com, Editor of Performance Execution and Performance Driven Selling Blogs, a former nationally syndicated Radio Talk Show Host. He is a published author of many books including Performance Execution, The Managerial-Leadership Bible, and THE LINE: Your Trajectory Code. Jeff is also a columnist and motivational-leadership speaker. Jeff is the recipient of the USJC TOYA Award and is one of the most impactful, sought after Keynote Speakers in the World today.