Today we have a guest editorial from Ben Kubicek as Steve is away at SQL Bits.

So you are faced with making a big decision. Someone has to, so why not you? Perhaps it is time to decide if that new server will be physical, virtual, or in a container? What if you have never used containers for a server? Is it off the table and no longer an option? Or perhaps you do a little research on containers first and then make a decision? I suppose you need some requirements like what is the purpose for this server?

How about when you are directly or indirectly involved with hiring new people? Maybe you don’t make the final decision, but your opinion counts. It is kind of a big decision, and you don’t want to make or influence a hiring choice you will regret later. Once a few years back, I was going to be involved with an interview for a new employee. I did a quick google search and found some articles on how this person was fired and served jail time for stealing from their previous employer. That was a dodged bullet.

What about architecture decisions? There are certainly a number of ways that projects, applications, databases, etc. can be designed. I suppose you will pick what you are most comfortable with. Why try something new? It might not work, or when it breaks you may not know how to fix it. Still, what if there is something new out there that would work better?

How do I make big decisions? I drive an all-electric car, a Nissan Leaf to be specific. It is four years old and it is a bit of a stretch some days with my 30 mile (48km) one-way commute, so I am thinking about getting a new all-electric car. I consider that a big decision. Where do I start? First, I gather my requirements for a new car. What is the range I want to have? How much money do I have to spend? Or am I going to buy or lease? You get the idea. Then I research and see what my options might be. What cars are out there? How much do they cost? How far can they go on a single charge. Next, I like to test them out. Sit in the car and see how it feels. Check out all the features I have been reading about. Take it for a test drive. Have my family check it out and see if they like it. Finally, I feel like I can make a good decision.

It seems like this same decision process can be used with other big decisions. Gather requirements, research options, test it out, then finally make a decision. I guess when it comes to hiring it might be tough to try out a new employee, but perhaps a good interview process or a google search will get you closer. 

Sometimes we make big decisions harder by not fully knowing the requirements. Or other times we don’t really know what options are out there, so we just keep doing what we have always done. I suppose it if is not broke why fix it, but what if there is a better way. It might be less expensive, or take less effort and people to maintain. I hope you have a good process that helps you evaluate big decisions and make the right choice.

Share how you go about making big decisions?