True Clarity Decisions

Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash

How many times have you made a decision out of convenience, habit, or even fear? The amount of decisions we have to make every day, from the serious to the mundane, stacks up so quickly that it seems like we don't even realize how many we are making. But the decisions we make regarding our businesses, institutions, and creative projects are more important than the type of coffee we drink or what we wear. And yet, because they are often the most intimidating and overwhelming, we choose the option that seems easiest or what has already been done before.

You may have experienced these unclear decisions in a variety of ways. If you've been told or thought, "This is the way we always do it", there is a good chance that decision was made without proper analysis that leads to true clarity. If you've had to make a reactive decision, instead of a proactive one, you probably made the decision without true clarity. Finally, relying on only one type of information source or evidence (anecdotal vs. hard), does not lead to clarity-based decision.

Depending on your situation and the type of decision, poor clarity can affect finances, long-term sustainability, the success of your projects, and whether or not you can build on the initial decision for long-term sustainability. Here are some examples:

• Reacting immediately to a community need for a mobile pantry seems like a great idea! The decision is made based on currently available grant funds and a rapid solution is prioritized over operational possibility. A year later, the staff member who held the CDL license to drive the pantry has retired and no one else is able or wiling to test for the license. On top of that, the vehicle needs to be repaired and the grocery chain that donated the initial food is no longer willing to donate more inventory. While some of these issues could be addressed financially, the grant funds have been used up and there was no implementation timeline of the mobile pantry maintenance fees into the general funds.
• An artist decides to work with a popular digital art medium on TikTok to gain social media traction by using the trend. They create a beautiful piece of art that gains likes and generates interest in their work. A couple months later, a local gallery reaches out to ask if they would like to have this digital piece in their upcoming show. However, the software the artist used is outdated and requires a paid subscription to update. The artist is not able to access their work without paying this fee. Unfortunately, they cannot afford it and have to turn down the gallery opportunity. To make things worse, they find out that other people have been stealing their TikTok post and uploading it to fake accounts. When the artist posts on TikTok about this issue, they have a hard time proving the digital art piece is theirs because there is no credit in the initial post.

• A college notices declining enrollment in two academic programs and receives pressure from community members to offer more flexible learning options. In response, administrators quickly decide to launch these degree programs in a fully online modality. The decision is marketed as an innovative solution and enrollment initially increases. Two years later, the college is receiving complaints from students about the poor instructional design and quality of the online courses. This is causing enrollment to decline. The lack of online instructor support caused many faculty members to leave or retire with little documentation, meaning that courses will have to be re-built from the ground up. On top of that, accreditation requirements for online programs have become more stringent and the college must address many compliance issues that were not considered during the initial rollout.

Stressed out? So am I! As you can see from these examples across different career fields, the biggest issue with unclear decisions is that it doesn't allow you much needed time: time to assess your current situation, find reputable information and current best practices, and create a sustainable solution that can adapt in the years to come. What initially starts as a decision based on a quick turnaround turns into costly problems later on. If you take the time now to make a decision based in true clarity, I promise you won't regret it!

Let Me Help You

Making clarity-based decisions starts with having the right information at the right time and that is exactly what I do. By me gathering, synthesizing, and presenting the most current and relevant evidence, you know that you're no longer relying on guesswork, outdated practices, or a single anecdotal source. I dig into the research so you can make decisions grounded in reality rather than convenience.

But good information is only part of the equation. The other critical piece is having a clear, structured plan for what comes next. I help you map out the full lifecycle of your decision from initial assessment and timeline development to implementation milestones and contingency planning. This is how we avoid the scenarios described above, where a great idea launches without a sustainability plan and collapses when one key piece falls away. With project management built into the process, you have a roadmap that anticipates challenges before they become crises.

Together, research and project management create the foundation for decisions you can feel confident about long after the initial excitement fades. You will know not only what the best option is based on current evidence, but also how to execute it in a way that is realistic, adaptable, and built to last. That is the kind of clarity that protects your resources and gives you room to grow.

Decisions based in true clarity are ones that you feel really good about making, both for the now and the future. I'd love to help you make your next one!