By Chris D’Souza –
As we make use of the knowledge of spiritual principles and sense God’s workings in our own hearts, to be able to make a decision that is relevant and applicable for us, we need to be sensitive to the present circumstances and sense how God is working through them.
Also read: Part I: Decision Making in Uncertain Times
- Understand the Issue at hand: to make a good decision, it is important to know the background of the situation, gather facts around the circumstances and analyze them. If you are deciding on laying-off employees, it’s vital to know the strategy behind the lay-off in terms of the long term goals, priorities and even think of the impact of the decision.
- Reach out, within for Wisdom: Scripture says that it is wise to consult counsellors (Pv 11:14). Today, while we do have a multitude of counsellors around us, it is important to look for trained, experienced and spiritual ones. To risk being misguided, it is critical to use proper discernment and not shortcuts. An example of a shortcut would be seeking ‘messages’ from a ‘spiritual counsellor’ and act on them without doing one’s own share of discernment first. Many have been misguided by quacks who claim to have a “hotline” with God. Several methods of discernment are available and one of the most popular, the method of St. Ignatius of Loyola, focuses on understanding the movements of consolation and desolation, in an attitude of indifference and openness ; doing both the ‘head work’ (analyzing, thinking..) and the ‘heart work’ (sensing intuition..) and proceeding when there is alignment between the head and the heart. Ignatian spirituality is rooted in the conviction that God is active, personal, and above all present to us to help us pray better, discern better and make better decisions. To experience it practically and in its fullness, it is best to attend an Ignatian discernment retreat. There are other schools of spirituality and discernment practices but in general most methods of spiritual discernment involve these basic suggestions:
- Be yourself in God’s presence – your motives gradually become clear.
- Focus on growth in holiness (I Pet 1: 14-16) which aligns you with God’s plan and purpose.
- Develop a strong prayer life – to be able to discern better.
- Search for peace in understanding what’s going on and finding God’s will (Col 3:15)
- Use Management Tools and Processes
There are a host of management tools that can be used for better decision making and they correspond to the necessary and optimal use of the mind that we discussed earlier. While we may not be able to discuss them in detail here, I will just name some that I’ve found useful for decision making, both at work and also in personal life. Do take some time to search and explore each individually for more insights into these tools.
a. Tools for exploring one’s options
o Risk/Impact Analysis – when risks are high and need to be considered and prioritized
o Six Thinking Hats – DeBono’s creative model of considering different perspectives before going ahead with a line of action.
o Force Field Analysis – a simple and useful tool for Go /No-Go choices
b. Tools for making the decision
o Cost-benefit Analysis – useful when financials are the driving criteria
o Paired Comparison Analysis -between two options in a sequential manner
o Decision Matrix Analysis – helps you make a decision by weighing several factors
Finally, we need to realize that decision making is a process and not just an individual act in time. The process starts with identifying the type of issue, studying the environment, considering overall vision, mission and strategy, considering alternatives, identifying decision making models and finally choosing between them, in an attitude of prayer and without bias or attachment. It is crucial that we actually make the final choice and take timely action without delay. If we hesitate or linger, then the default choice kicks in. That doesn’t give much room for free decision making.
If decisions are to be made by a family, team or community, then the process needs to be extended to the family, team or community as appropriate.
It’s also vital to communicate the outcome of the decision to all the stakeholders in a timely and sensitive way. This especially applies to decisions that have negative consequences for certain sections of stakeholders. I’m sure you remember the appalling manner in which Uber recently (mid May 2020) let go of 3700 employees over a 3 minute call by its Head of customer service, informing them that they don’t have their jobs any more. Whatever the business logic was behind the layoff, their communication approach was pathetic.
A good biblical example of a sound decision making process coupled with realistic action is that of Nehemiah – it would be great to read the entire book of Nehemiah to follow it from the angle of decision making. He studied the problem, prayed, systematically sought permission from king, surveyed the situation, encouraged and guided his team, faced and overcame opposition and successfully completes the project. Notice that he made God-honoring, prudent and commonsense decisions.
Now let’s go back to the story of the captain who looked for alignment of the three lights on the shore. In our own situations, we too need to look for direction in terms of alignment from God’s word and known principles, His voice within our own heart and His activity in our present circumstances. When all of these three seem to speak in unison, we can be sure that our decision is the best possible one and that we are headed in the right direction or at least have applied the right criteria in following the process.
Do we need to look for perfect clarity and reduction of all uncertainty before we go ahead in making decisions? I think not. To expect that would be not to accept our humanity or even reality for that matter. Look at Mary. She experienced the greatest form of uncertainty when the angel announced that she would be with child. She was perplexed, bewildered, yet she trusted. To make matters even more complex, the angel promptly disappeared after making the grand announcement! What she did next was amazing. Her ‘be it unto me according to your word’ (Lk 1:38) has become the subject of numerous sermons and songs. While she pondered on this message in her heart, she carried out her regular duties that she knew were necessary, with trust and faithfulness. That’s the way to go. Not continuously clamouring for supernatural guidance every minute. We need to put in our own bit of cooperative effort in the natural realm. Resting in faith and carrying out necessary duties also provides the sense of control and clarity that our mind and heart requires. We need to rest in the assurance that God knows what we require.
Let’s continue our journey in exploring decision making with the prayer that St. Teresa prayed when she was confronted with tough decisions:
“Oh Heavenly Father, I face a decision, and I don’t know what to do.
I am not at peace. Bring me your peace, the peace of your Spirit, the peace of God.
First of all calm me, let me know again, that you are in control of all things.
Give me discernment; give me clarity, to see the things as you see them.
Let not circumstances or my insecurity get in the way of your will.
Make it so that I don’t, even have to decide. Only receive your word, and obey.
In Imitation of Christ, your beloved Son, my savior and Lord.
Let your will be done, in this decision and in my Life. In Jesus name, Amen
Chris is an Executive / Life Coach and Talent Consultant with around 20+ years’ experience in People Development and Global Delivery in various organizations – IBM, HCL Technologies and Citibank. He is presently Director at Lead Strategic Development Pvt. Ltd. He conducts leadership training and coaching for corporates, colleges and religious institutions. For a complimentary 45min coaching session, contact him at [email protected]