You might have questions like:

• How can my company improve the way it makes decisions?
• How can we become more effective decision makers?

How to improve decision making? In my experience, this comes down to tools and culture. Tools are relatively straight-forward, here selection and implementational discipline make the difference. Culture is something else. I found that a good decision making culture (roles, responsibilities, appropriate conduct, safeguards against abuse, value of learning) are the true differentiators.

Good examples of my decision making:

• the decision to leave a fledging software startup behind and go corporate
• the decision to move from IT to technology
• the decision to found a startup internally
• the decision on how to revive the restructured team
• the decision to leave Whirlpool and return to Europe

In 2001, Whirlpool conducted a 360 Degree study of my performance. Here are some relevant results about me (remember that this report was done before some of the most intense learning periods around the restructuring of my whole business unit, and beyond). A rating of (1) meant total absence of a skill, (5) meant a rolemodel.

My general management skills were rated average, with most ratings being 3 or 4. Interestingly enough, my supervisor told me that most people are in this range.

The second relevant dimension was "Strategy", where I got a higher rating from my supervisor than from my peers and reports. Strategy was an upward-directed activity in this company, so this result is not surprising.

The last relevant element is "Confidence", where I got very high marks. In effect, I can make things happen.