In these kinds of decisions, a maybe is the same as a no. You will have decided by default. If it all goes wrong then, you will be at fault twice - once for not deciding at all and once for allowing the wrong outcome to happen.

The other kind of decisions account for the vast majority: those that can be changed, modified or adapted after they have been made. There is never any good reason to put off actively making these decisions.

Go with your gut instinct. 90% of the time it will be right. Even in the times it isn't, you can reverse it pretty quickly.

Don't be frightened of losing a little face. In business, someone who has the guts to make a decision, and then, in the light of new facts, the courage to decide to reverse it, is someone destined for the top.

Don't think too far in the future.

Some situations try to force you to decide based on the outcome in the long term. This is rarely sound.

Of course, the long-term objective is valid, but if it bankrupts you or the company in the short-term, that decision is flawed.

When to avoid making a decision.

After all I have said about the power of positive decision making, it might seem odd to condone the opposite.

However, it is just as valid to decide not to do something as to decide to do it. The important thing is to decide.

Some questions are unanswerable and sometimes you simply don't have enough facts to make an informed decision.

In these cases, your active decision is to wait, gather more facts, or seek advice. 'Do nothing' is not an option.

I leave the final words to two successful businessmen from opposite sides of the Atlantic:

'If I had to sum up in one word what makes a good manager, I'd say decisiveness. You can use the fanciest computers to gather the numbers, but in the end you have to set a timetable and act.'

Lee Iacocca, former Chrysler chief.

'A lot of companies I deal with seem incapable of making a decision. It doesn't matter if the decision you make is right or wrong.

What matters is that you make it and don't waste your company's time. If you make the decision, you begin to distinguish the good from the bad.' Peter Kindersley, UK publisher.

About the Author:Martin Avis is a management and training consultant. For an unfair advantage (+ 6 free gifts) in business, Internet marketing, and personal success, subscribe free to his weekly newsletter, BizE-zine. mailto:subscribe5@BizE-zine.com or visit his website at http://www.BizE-zine.com