Below are four tips on how to answer the question "how do you make important decisions?" Walk the employer through your thought processes so they can understand the logic.

Have a System

Don't just ramble on. Think through how you will answer the question and how you will explain why you choose or chose to do something, depending on whether it is a hypothetical or past example.

Do you approach all the decisions in the same way? And if not, why not? Avoid superstitions and phrases like "I trust my gut" as they are not logical enough. Talk about where you started, such as by gathering information, and then what you moved on to, such as analysing the information. You can also talk about the timeline. If you were under pressure to make a decision within a specific timeframe, you can mention being on crunch time and making an executive decision on-the-spot to weigh time versus information. You can mention comparing both results and deciding on the former over the latter for 'x' reasons. Tell it like a story, from start to finish. Just don't get bogged down in too many details along the way.

Give Examples

Think about the benefits of the details that you share in your chosen story. When you give examples, choose those with positive outcomes, as these will work in your favour. You want to show your successes and achievements along the way, including the end result. You can also talk about people, such as the leadership team or manager supporting you along the way or at the end of the outcome.

Be Logical

Show that you use facts to help you make your decision. You want to make it sound like you did a thorough check of all fact-checking details and information gathering of data for instance, before making your final decision. Why? Because if you don't, the employer won't know to trust you to make the right decision or logical decisions for a potential problem in the future if you can only show that past examples have been made on a whim.

Be Positive

Use the STAR method to tell a clear story on how you did what. During your example, make sure you choose those with a positive outcome, as mentioned above. Then, move on to describe the narrative using checking points along the way by looking at the Situation, Tasks at hand, Actions taken, and final Result.

The Takeaway

Tailor your answers so that they fit the problems the employer is looking for the ideal candidate to solve. Help them envision that you are that candidate by putting yourself in the best light. You want to make sure they can relate to you, so when choosing past examples, choose ones that bear the closest resemblance to any situations they have mentioned in person or in the job description. Comb through the JD and extract any problem-solving pointers that you can contribute to to show your worth and value and you'll be able to convince them. Finished your interview and unsure of why you're waiting? Read "6 Reasons You May Be Waiting Post-Interview."