How to Make Better Decisions During Uncertain Times

Good decisions will make you, bad decisions will break you

One morning I went into town to get some keys cut. Traffic was slow. When I arrived at the locksmith there was a long queue. The owner seemed to be spending more time with each customer than he normally did so I waited for my turn patiently.

As I looked around I noticed a lot of police vehicles on the main road. Sirens were going off and within minutes one side of the street had been cordoned off. There was a heavy police presence, which was comforting in a way as I didn’t know what was happening.

When my turn came, I asked the locksmith what had happened.

“Someone got run over by a car.” he replied.

At this point he went into graphic detail about the incident.

“The driver got out of the car, stabbed the victim, then drove over them and drove off.”

I was shocked! To think this had happened in broad daylight, before noon too, was horrifying.

“A similar incident happened last week in a different part of the city,” the locksmith continued. “The police came in here asking if I’d seen or heard anything before or after the incident.”

Imagine such a horrific incident unfolding right outside your shop!

We both agreed that it was traumatising.

“Of course I didn’t see anything myself. I’m only telling you what I heard from others,” the he finished.

I left the shop with unanswered questions swirling in my head.

As soon as I was able to, I searched for the incident reports on social media. I was in for an even greater shock.

The victim was a 70 year old pensioner who had been knocked down by a slow moving car whilst crossing a side street. A misinformed member of the public had obviously called 999, acting in what they believed was the public’s best interest.

How does this apply to your business and what lessons can be learned?

Check Your Facts

Check your facts before you share information, make decisions or take action. If you share inaccurate information, you may be perceived as unreliable and someone who cannot be trusted. You may also cause unnecessary distress or panic. It’s very difficult to take words back once they’ve been spoken or shared in the public domain. There are probably older folk who no longer visit that part of town any more, all because of misinformation.

Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary conditions or circumstances

It’s okay to make temporary adjustments in your life or business to accommodate unforeseen circumstances. However, some of those measures may not be sustainable or financially viable in the long-term. They could put you in a vulnerable position or, worse still, eat into your profits.

A good example was the action taken by TfL (Transport for London) during the first lockdown. Passengers were instructed to use the back entrance when boarding buses and were not required to pay.

I could happily live in a world where public transport is free but this would not be viable option for the city. As expected, as soon as the lockdown was over, passengers were required to use the front entrance and pay their fare.

Trust Yourself

Trusting yourself starts with the thoughts in your head and how you see yourself.

“Your mind can be your prison or your palace. What you make it is yours to decide.” — Bernard Kelvin Clive

If you can’t trust yourself to make the right decisions you will pay a high price. No one has insider knowledge like you do. No one knows you or your business as well as you do.

I can certainly recall times in my life when I knew I should have trusted myself more.

When all else fails, trust your gut.

Rejoice Denhere helps businesses and individuals recover from setbacks, putting them on the path to success, using her signature programme “Master Your Life.” She also enjoys writing. You can discover more about Rejoice and her work at reebranded.com