Do This One Thing to Become a Great Decision Maker, Says Ugur Aslan

The term “listen” is equivalent to “silent.” Literally, the word is an anagram. When you are silent and listen to what is being iterated to you, you are effectively collecting information. When someone is talking, don’t speak, just listen. When you are reading, make sure there are no distractions to make sure you can thoroughly absorb the content. Active listening is the first skill required for making great decisions.

After you have collected all possible information, it’s time to evaluate it. When making your decision, you must keep an open mind and be fully aware of your goals. You need to consider all your options and potential scenarios. Remember, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You must remember that your decision would have consequences, both positive and negative.

Good decisions call for an open mind. You have to eliminate any bias or personal influence when it comes to a business decision. Ugur calls this thinking with your head, not your heart. After all, emotional decisions in a professional capacity can be disastrous. Such decisions call for logic, problem solving, and critical thinking.

The final aspect of making great decisions is to give yourself time. You cannot make a major decision on the fly. It takes time to gather the necessary information and evaluate the scenarios it presents. If you are tired, rushed, or stressed, you are not in the optimal mindset to make important decisions. Look at your information while you are running at full capacity to ensure you make the right call.

Ugur says staying silent while listening was the key element in some of the most important business decisions he has ever made. The best thing is that his inputs come into picture at the middle and end of the process, not before. Remarkably, his most important input can be executed without having to say a word.