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What should I do after I make the decision?

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Former President Harry Truman said, �All my life, whenever it comes time to make a decision, I make it and forget about it.� The most important step to take after making a decision is to move forward. Regardless of whether you made the right or the wrong decision, don�t waste time re-analyzing a decision that was already made.

That said, however, it is important to evaluate your decision and determine if you made the right decision. Compare the results of the decision with the goal. Did you meet your goal? Obtain feedback from those who were most directly affected by your decision. Were the effects positive or negative? Were they what you expected?

In some cases, you will determine that you made the wrong decision. If you made the wrong decision, check to see if it is possible to reverse your decision. If it is too late, try to minimize the impact of your decision and admit that you made a mistake. Be humble enough to learn from your mistakes and to apologize to those who were harmed by your mistake.

In addition, it is important to determine where in the decision-making process you made your mistake. Did you neglect to look at the issue from a certain perspective? Did you forget other costs or benefits? Are you feeling remorse over making an unethical decision? Identify the problem so that you won�t make the same mistake next time.

Next Page: How can I improve my decision making? Why do people make wrong decisions?

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