The Elements of a Clear Decision

[7 September 2006 - MIT Sloan Management Review] When Luda Kopeikina was president of Celerity Solutions, Inc., a supply chain software and services company, she was under intense stress. The company's market was shrinking, as was its revenue, and Kopeikina had to act decisively in order to save it. After she had made a series of "right" decisions and the crisis was averted, she became intrigued by what ingredients and conditions went into those decisions. Could they be replicated? Could they be taught? Kopeikina's curiosity led her to research and write her recent book "The Right Decision Every Time: How to Reach Perfect Clarity on Tough Decisions" (Prentice Hall 2005). In a recent interview, she shared some of her thoughts and findings ... Q: What are the elements of a good decision? Good leaders focus on three elements. First, they identify the best decision-making process. Second, they look for the best data and analysis they can get. More