Decisions during a pandemic: 3 steps to prioritizing your values

 The pandemic has changed everything
 
Rarely in modern history have so many critical decisions been made by so many people. 
 
The pandemic has placed an inordinate amount of pressure on societies, leaders, families, and individuals to make decisions.  Some of these are decidedly short-term in nature, dealing with day-to-day challenges faced as a result of the immediate impacts of the pandemic, while others are medium-term as we consider what the world will look like post-pandemic.
 
All are incredibly difficult and cast in an unexpected light.  Values-based decision making can help relieve some of this pressure by helping you make decisions faster, more consistently, and with precious mental energy dedicated to the decision and its outcome.
 
Values are guiding big decisions
 
Those in public office have to decide, almost on a daily basis, which measures to impose or adjust in response to the spread of Covid-19 in their jurisdiction.  As is evidenced around the world, these decisions can be based on data, intuition, facts or belief, and in all cases, reflect the values, public or private, of the decision makers.
 
Business leaders have to adjust to the new, sudden, and hopefully short-term reality: their customers are now confined at home.  For some, this means business as usual though for most, drastic measures have been necessary to keep their business solvent.  Values-based decision making is more important than ever for these leaders to navigate this new reality, even if it means that their values have to shift as a result of the pandemic.
 
Families are equally caught in the mix of high-pressure decision making as parents decide whether or not to home school their children, to work at home or return to the office, to stay in the city or move to a more rural area.  Defined and prioritized values can help with these decisions.
 
Values are guiding big decisions.  What’s your value system?
 
3 steps to identifying and prioritizing your values
 
Here are the three steps to define your own prioritized value system. 

1. Define your values.  Keep the list short, no more than 5 items and reflect both your personal and professional values (I have two lists, one on each side of business card).  These are the things which are most important to you. For example:  (personal) family harmony, child development, personal integrity, personal health and fitness, and (professional)  employee health and safety, environmental stewardship, sustained profitability, growth though innovation, customer satisfaction.  If your business already has predefined values, great!  Use them.
2. Prioritize your values.  Each of your values need not have the same degree of priority. In fact, it's best if they don't.  Your top two values should have a disproportionate influence on any decision you make (you want to ensure these are almost always satisfied).  Detailed in my book, Driving Great Results, this simple paired comparison tool can help you to quickly prioritize your values:  
3. Use your values.  Write them in the order in which they're ranked on a small piece of paper, and carry them with you.  These values are equally applicable if you're deciding with your gut, or using more analytical methods (I'll introduce these tools in later posts).  Either way, you'll be amazed how often you refer this list.  

 
Under conditions of extreme pressure, decision making has a tendency to become fast and loose.  Use values-based decision making – gut feel or data-backed – to relieve some of this pressure and keep your decisions tight.

Here's to better decisions and driving great results!

-luke


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