Many people struggle to make decisions when we have competing interests. It can be hard to navigate the needs of various stakeholders along with our own emotions and desires. Instead of getting lost in confusion, we need a step by step approach that facilitates us to think through the different dimensions and discover the solution that creates a win-win-win.

Today’s guest is Timothy Yen. Tim is a psychologist with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and emphasis in executive consultation. He is the author of "Choose Better: The Optimal Decision-Making Framework”. He practices in the San Francisco Bay area and leads conferences and retreats around the globe. Between his years in private practice and another eight years as a Mental Health Staff Sergeant in the US Army, he’s empowered hundreds of individuals, families, organizations, and teams to develop authentic relationships and grow into their best selves.

Tim and I talk about how to make optimal decisions. We get into why we make poor decisions, or worse, are indecisive, and how to apply Tim’s framework to help you and your team members make better decisions every time.

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Read the related blog article: The Four Step Process To Making Better Decisions.

KEEP UP WITH TIMOTHY

Website: www.timyen.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterconsulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timothyyenpsyd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timkyen/

Key Takeaways:

• An optimal decision is one that reflects your values while also meeting the needs of everyone involved.
• There are four core pillars to optimal decision-making: (1) your emotions; (2) your values; (3) others’ values;  and (4) reality constraints.
• Pillar Number One: What emotions come up when you are making a tough decision? Reflect on both what you feel and why you are feeling this way. 
• Pillar Number Two: What are your values? Consider what is important to you and what outcomes you would like to see based upon these values. 
• Pillar Number Three: What does your team (or other stakeholders) want? Ask people about their values, desires and ideas if you’re not sure. 
• Team members from different cultural backgrounds come with different expectations. Ask your team where they got their values from to get to know them better and gain greater insight into what they want. 
• Pillar Number Four: What are the reality constraints? What factors - like your manager’s expectations or budget constraints - affect your decision? 
• Balance competing interests and values while staying true to yourself. Build trust by listening to your team’s ideas while accommodating your manager’s expectations.

Additional Resources:

• Episode 124: How to Make Better Decisions
• Episode 88: Models and Methods of Decision-Making

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