Whether it’s a major decision, such as restructuring the organization, or a minor decision, like where to go for a team outing, everyday, there are challenges surrounding our choices. Most of them are everyday struggles that confuse and overwhelm us, whether in the workplace or personal space.
Where Do We Stumble?
In “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” Daniel Kahneman explains that our minds have two cognitive systems:
- System 1 is the intuitive way of thinking and making decisions. It triggers first impressions and gut feelings, which makes us jump to conclusions.
- System 2 is the analytical, critical thinking way of making decisions. It triggers analysis and problem-solving approaches.
We often use intuition and heuristics with System 1 thinking for daily tasks leading to judgment biases and decision errors. System 2 thinking is only used for unexpected situations or when we consciously try to think.
11 Everyday Decision Challenges At The Workplace
Let’s learn about the fifteen most common workplace challenges we face daily and their impact on us. You may or may not know these, but you must have undoubtedly faced them multiple times!
#1. Overwhelm
We feel swamped by the sheer volume of minor to major decisions we must make in a limited amount of time. It creates stress, reduced focus, and decision fatigue. One way to deal with it is to schedule decision-making time blocks on your calendar where you take multiple decisions in a batch.
#2. Lack of Clarity
Unclear goals or incomplete information creates confusion, hesitation, and delays. Working with SMART goals is a great way to overcome this dilemma.
#3. Risk Aversion
Regular assessments, self-awareness, and mindfulness practice can further help in the proper personal growth aligned with your values, lower stress, and stay more focused.
#4. Time Constraints
Because of the limited time and pressure to make decisions, we make mistakes resulting in suboptimal outcomes. A tip is delegating your work to free time and focus on decisions.
#5. Conflict of Priorities
Juggling multiple tasks and conflicting priorities makes it difficult to allocate time and focus to decision-making. It builds stress and poor decision alignment. Prioritize your work to make decisions easier.
#6. Pressure to Perform
The pressure to consistently make successful decisions creates anxiety and leads to a fear of failure. We may even end up avoiding or delaying decisions! Accepting that not every decision will have perfect outcomes is the only way to make it work.
#7. Emotional Influences
Strong emotions like stress, frustration, or excitement cloud our judgment and lead to impulsive decisions and regrets. A tip is to take a 10-minute break before making any decision.
#8. Resistance to Change
The discomfort with unfamiliar choices causes hesitation and reluctance to make decisions, resulting in missed opportunities. Embracing a growth mindset is the key here.
#9. Lack of Confidence
Doubting our own capabilities hampers decision-making abilities. It leads to indecision, and we seek external validation. Discover yourself and realize your strength & weaknesses.
#10. Insufficient Support
A lack of guidance, resources, or feedback can hinder effective decision-making. Impact includes uninformed choices. One way to overcome it is by seeking advice from mentors or colleagues, continuous learning and development, and utilizing available tools.
#11. Decision Alignment
When there is a conflict between personal values and organizational goals, we face this difficulty. It had been quite common for me. We face moral dilemmas and internal tension. Know your core values and find ways to align them with the organization’s goals. This will bring clarity to you if this is the right place for you and your growth or not.
Regular assessments, self-awareness, and mindfulness practice can further help in the proper personal growth aligned with your values, lower stress, and stay more focused.
Decision-making is not about eliminating challenges but building the skills to overcome them confidently.
Surbhi Mahnot