Review
"Author Shaw approaches his subject in a methodical fashion...a well laid–out book...the advise, including warnings on potential pitfalls, is good." (Personnel Today, September 16, 2008)
"Shaw has done something rarely attempted before...he covers a huge range of decision makers and how they tackle decisions" ( Engineering & Technology, October 11th, 2008)
“…good practical advice…a useful self help book…this is a valuable book”. People Management Thursday 21 August 2008
From the Inside Flap
Part 1 considers the 4Cs of making difficult decisions (
clarity, conviction, courage and communication).
Part 2 focuses on:
- applying the learning from good decisions makers
- embedding the ability to make difficult decisions
- enabling others to make difficult decisions and
- key questions in making difficult decisions
Part 3 sets out practical steps for deciding what action to take in particular circumstances, when making difficult decisions:
- as the boss
- in relation to your boss
- in relation to your peers
- whilst dealing with your hopes and fears, and
- addressing your values and priorities
Making Difficult Decisions draws on the experiences of a wide range of people in leadership positions. these examples deliberately come from people of varying degrees of seniority. The issues facing a junior supermarket manager and a Government Minister may be very different in scale, but will often contain similar dilemmas about acts and feelings with similar time pressures to make quick decisions.
Decision making should not always be easy or straightforward. If it is, there may be something missing. Continually testing your decision making against the facts, your intuition and the perspective of others is a tough but necessary step in refining your ability to make difficult decisions.