Decision making for project managers

Project managers frequently find themselves making, or at least influencing crucial decisions. Decisions may be as simple quick ones that are limited to one department, or they may be as complex as a multi-million dollar hazardous waste cleanup. Knowing when to involve others in a decision is vital to good decision-making, and establishing the project manager as a motivating leader. Through a ladder of 5 questions, the process of determining the level of involvement of others in a decision is made easier. In addition, four levels of decision making styles are outlined. These five questions, and the four decision making styles are presented as a decision tree, and can be used as guidelines for the many decisions a project manager faces throughout a project. Using the decision tree guidelines can determine the most appropriate decision style while considering the level of need for a critical decision.