Avoid these two errors when you’ve got a tough choice

Even the smartest leaders make dumb decisions from time to time. You can avoid them—well, most of them—by paying attention to these two classic decision-making mistakes:

• Applying the wrong experience. Sometimes a situation seems to resemble a past problem. But if the resemblance is only superficial, repeating your solution will lead to more problems. Analyze each situation independently; adapt what’s worked in the past to fit the unique circumstances of the current situation.

• Not considering personal conflicts. You may favor a particular solution that benefits your own interests, and be unaware of what you’re doing. It’s not necessarily fraudulent or dishonest—you may seek to protect your own employees, for example, but at the expense of another department. Get unbiased opinions from a range of people to be sure you’re not following unconscious preferences.