current problem....

[greenoak]

how do you make a decision? i have tons of major decisions to make about store lay out....and they need to be made....it seems like i can see too many sides to the problems...and can talk myself into any side at any given time....nothing is simple or black and white....buti cant be rearranging and then doing it again and again.....
this is really getting to be a crappy habit!!!!
any good tricks out there?
ann

[The Entrepreneurs Network]

I would start with forgetting about you as the store owner and look at the store layout from a customer's perspective. List them in order of priority. You can weigh them on a scale of 1 to 10. What does the customer need and what does appeal to them? When you have made those decision, add your requirements but do not compromise your core customer needs. For instance anything scored at an 8 or higher needs to be left untouched. An item scored 7 or lower you can tinker with to suit your needs as a business owner. This way you put some logic to your decision making process. Good luck.

[vangogh]

First indecision is a decision and usually not the best one. When faced with decisions I do my best to weigh out the pros and cons and then decide what I think best. I accept that I the decision I make might not have been the best one, but once decided I commit to it and don't second guess myself. Very few things can't be undone once done.

Sometimes in hindsight we realize the other decision was the better one. You learn from it and use that knowledge the next time.


When you get to a fork in the road, take it
Yogi Berra

[nealrm]

First - don't over analysis the situation. It is unlikely that a poor decision on your store layout is going to drive you to ruin. I have found that for many item it is best to choice a path of continue improvement rather than trying for perfection on the first path. In this case I would chose a layout the is good and then 2 or 3 times a year make adjustment to improve it.

[Spider]

Throughtout my life I have encountered such a problem on many occasions. Sometimes, it has been a 'do this or do that' x 20 - IOW pick one solution out of a lot of alternatives. For me, though, it has been more often a logistical problem - I have to do everything on the list but in a particular order because of conflicts -- Can't do A until B is done and C must be done before B and E is dependent on A ... and so on.

I have discovered two solutions for these two problems. I don't know which is yours so I will explain both.

A. Pick One of Many

I have found that in almost every case, there really isn't a great deal of consequential difference between each choice. If A is going to succeed, then the success of it won't be greatly different than if B were to succeed. If one stands out as being likely to be more successful than any of the others, then go for than one. If any are likely to be less successful than the rest, eliminate it from the list.

With a list of fairly equal possible successes, it doesn't matter which one you choose - so choose the one that will be most enjoyable.

The real trick comes in - having made the choice - totally but TOTALLY discard all the other choices. Resist the temptation to check back and play "what-if." Once you have chosen the path you will take, devote your attention fully to it and don't look back.

B. The Logistical Problem

This has been easy for me. I think about it, study each element, make sure I understand the interconnectivity of it all - which must be done before which, which is dependent upon which, etc - all without trying to solve the riddle. Just understand it. Then go to bed. In the morning, the solution is waiting for me in my brain. A detailed logistical schedule is ready to go.

I know it sounds weird, but that is exacly what happens, and it has happened on numerous occasions. The solution is always clear and obvious. So much so that I wonder how I could not have seen it before. I have even tried to recreate my confusion and that has proved impossible.

It's amazing what a good night's sleep will do. It's amazing the power of the subconscious mind to work on your behalf when you are asleep.

I hope this helps - Have fun!

[Patrysha]

I am not sure if you've read it but the book Why we buy:The Science of Shopping was really an amazing one for inspiring ideas about layout.

[KristineS]

Set a deadline. When I have trouble making a decision, I tell myself I'll decide by such and such a time. When that time comes up I make a decision and move on. It's not always the right decision, and if it isn't I can change it, but at least I've gotten myself moving. It does work for me.

[greenoak]

thanks...i do have a deadline which is good..lol...
....and i like the idea of the thinking in related groups...just talking to the workers about it has helped me see the logistics and relationships and possibilities in a deep way......

the visual is so important is this kind of thing....as the patryshas shopping book so clearly tells us...
im seriously getting everybodies feedback at the store...which is really good too....its starting to gel!!!
its always something...and fast sloppy decisions sure cost a lotof extra wrork....