How does confidence factor into decisions making? I listened to an HBR podcast interviewing Therese Huston, PhD that discussed decision making. One insight jumped out at me. Confidence in decision making is important, but probably not how you think.

It’s important to lower your confidence level when you’re making a decision. We all have some kind of bias. As you look at options in front of you, overconfidence in a particular option can reduce the amount of input you get from others. It can reduce the number of options you consider. It may shorten the time you spend deliberating between the options you have. Dial down your confidence when you’re making a decision to help improve the quality of the decision you make.

When you communicate your decision to others, you improve the expected outcome by raising your perceived confidence. People infer the quality of your decision in by the confidence with which you convey that decision. If you sound unsure of your decision, others will doubt the quality of your decision. They may also be less apt to follow through with total commitment. Dial up your confidence when you are communicating a decision to help improve the quality of the results.

Consider how your confidence during the process of decision making may help you improve your decisions and the results you achieve from them.