Are You Solving a Symptom?
“Decisions are different from choices. If you casually select an option from a range of alternatives, you’ve made a choice. If you react without thinking, you’ve made an unconscious choice. But neither of these is the same as a decision. A decision is a choice that involves conscious thought.”
— Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking
As I met with several of you in our showroom this week during the mini-market, I noticed something. It’s always there. But without the hustle and bustle of a bigger market, the problem is easier to see.
You know what it is. Decisions. OMG there are so many to be made as a buyer.
If you already carry the line…
What has sold well? What hasn’t? What is new? What do we keep? What do we add? Did we run out of a best-seller? What quantity should we always have on hand? Do we want to give the line more space? Does it coordinate by theme or color with other things we are buying?…
If it’s new – add more…
What’s wholesale? What’s retail? What is the order increment? What’s the order minimum? Is there a special? What is it? From where does it ship? How much does freight run? When are they shipping? How long does it take? Is it in stock?…
Sometimes it is a choice. Sometimes it is a decision. Shane Parrish’s book, Clear Thinking, is so good I think I have dog-eared every page. I am on my second read of it – and recommend it.
As buyers, we’d like to think that all of our decisions are good ones – but we’re human. We do the best we can with the information we have at the time and we act.
Because like Shane quotes Neil Peart:
“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a decision.”
Thanks for the opportunity to be part of your buying decision-making process. It’s a joy! I appreciate you!
xoxo,
❤️ AmyFay
The Decision-Making Process
According to Shane Parrish (page 120) in Clear Thinking:
- Define the problem.
- Explore possible solutions.
- Evaluate the options.
- Make the judgment.
- Execute the best option.
Part of what I found most interesting, is that the problem is not always as it first seems. Many times we react quickly to treat a symptom of the problem – just to have the same problem return again and again.
As I was reading I was reminded of a problem I helped solve when our boys were in elementary school and I was active in our PTO. The board meetings were painful, long and did not accomplish much.
One might think our parents were not committed or willing and able to help; however, that was far from the case.
There were 60 parents on the board. 60. Over half attended the monthly meetings.
To make a decision about funds ($20K annual budget) everyone wanted to be informed before voting on anything. But since they all weren’t there each month we spent a ton of time repeating what had been discussed at previous meetings.
I helped restructure the board – which meant rewriting the bylaws – a huge undertaking. But with lots of great parents picking up the ball and running with it after my tenure, the budget grew to $140K very quickly.
The parents weren’t the problem – the organizational structure was.
Do you have a problem that keeps coming back? Are you solving a symptom? Think about what it actually is and what it would take to solve it.
It’s the first step in making a good decision!
“Good judgment is expensive, but poor judgment will cost you a fortune.”
“Good judgment can’t be taught, but it can be learned.”
— Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking
