Decision Mastery

Founder

Medium

As a freelance writer, I publish articles on Medium.com on a regular basis. 

My topics include:

• Decision-making
• Critical thinking
• Mental models
• Strategy
 
I've generated 200,000+ views with articles published in various publications including Forge, The Startup, and Mind Cafe.

Contributing Writer

The Resolve Blog

Comprehensive articles into all aspects of decision-making, critical thinking, strategy and leadership. Visit the blog to find out more: www.resolve.blog

DEVELOPING YOUR BUSINESS 

Providing business development consultancy services to businesses across a range of sales channels including e-commerce, b2b and retail.

Business Development Specialist

All Things Arb

Consultancy lead work supporting the client in sales development with business and consumer clients in arboriculture and online media.

Business Consultant

Marlow Ropes Ltd

My role was to implement the sales strategy that was targeted on the growth & development of 17 market channels. This was to be achieved by the development of existing accounts & seeking out new business opportunities. The channels included Arboriculture, Safety & Access, Telecoms amongst many others. Sales were to a mix of retailers/distributor networks or the end user. 
•	Opened & developed many new business accounts across various channels 

•	Supported a number of successful trade shows that achieved high levels of sales

Business Development Executive

Influence Media 

As the business owner of Influence Media, I created and developed the business plan that led to the business starting up. I managed every aspect of the business including sales, marketing and day to day business management.

Business Owner

Connect Distribution Services Ltd

I had commercial responsibilities to P&L level for key clients including manufacturers, major retailers and insurance companies within the MDA (Major Domestic Appliances) & SDA (Small Domestic Appliances) repair sector for approx. 250,000 repairs per annum generating revenues in excess of £10 million. This included contract acquisition, negotiation, implementation, development & retention.

Commercial Contracts Manager

I was commercially responsible for major clients that included providing bespoke product distribution and service provider management to P&L level. I was also responsible for a number of strategic developments within the service operation including website sales, field engineer management and operational process changes.

Business Development Manager (Connect Service)

As a business development manager I was responsible for the acquisition, development and retention of new business within the B2B sector at Connect Distribution. Working with a team of 5 business development executives we were responsible for achieving the new business goals defined by the business. Within this time I also became responsible for the management of major clients.

Business Development Manager

Field Sales Executive

Carphone Warehouse Business

Was responsible for the creation and development of mobile phone sales to SME’s within the South East.

Reported to the Field Sales Manager and was responsible for the account management & development of 600 accounts within the South East.

Daily tips to help you master your decisions | Strategy, Leadership, Sales | Founder at The Resolve Blog

In 2016, I realised (painfully) how important decision-making was. 

Today, I run Decision Mastery, a website loaded with lessons I’ve documented from 30 years of making and seeing decision-making in action. 

In that recent journey, I’ve begun to understand how we: 

-	Overlook uncertainty when deciding
-	Make decisions based on assumption
-	Allow our biases to influence our choices

And most of all, to appreciate the impact it has on our decisions at work. 

Now, my big decisions come from a position of control. 

I think more about the consequences of the outcome than the outcome. Rather than chasing a precise outcome, I position for possible outcomes. 

Before, my judgement failed me.

I know many others find themselves in the position I was in. 

Every day, you make business decisions without thinking. 

Often without consideration of uncertainty, with no challenge of assumptions, and with little grasp of the incentives surrounding your choice. 

You live on the back of ‘chance’ outcomes. Some you win, some you lose. 

That is a risky way to make business decisions that carry consequences. 

I have a different perspective. 

I believe in the process of good decision-making. 

Of course, there are good ways to decide and there are bad ways to decide. Neither guarantees the outcome— but the former does give you a positive stake in what happens.

And that’s what Decision Mastery is about. 

Being a master of decisions is to ‘control the controllables’. For every professional decision-maker, this is the goal. 

Control what you can, and be mindful of what you can’t. 

The website contains approx. 100 articles that will give you my learnings — driven by my curiosity — in articles that aren’t written by AI. 

That are all written by me. 

You’ll find:

-	Case studies
-	Personal anecdotes
-	Practical frameworks

All focused on helping you display decision mastery as a professional decision-maker. 

To begin your journey to Decision Mastery, click on “Become a Decision Master here”. I have a gift for you. 🧭
____
Or DM me “Decision Master” and I’ll send over the details.

There’s no such thing as bad weather. 
Only bad clothing.

It's true, though, isn't it?

Preparation always beats the worst-case scenario. 

So why not spend some time thinking about the worst that could happen?

If it does happen, you're ready. If it doesn't, well, it isn't a disaster.

This kind of thinking extends far beyond the weather.

When we begin planning, we naturally tend to look for the best-case scenario. 

We are optimists at heart. 

Upsides are attractive, rewarding and show progress to our bosses and peers.

Rarely do we pause and think about the worst thing that could go wrong.

Not thinking about the worst-case is an act of foolishness. 

We should rationalise our approach once we begin thinking about things that could go wrong.

We can’t fall into a spiral of total negativity.

We need logic to help us be sensible about all the possible doomsday outcomes we might be thinking about.

For me, one great way to do this is to use the risk equation.

Threats and vulnerabilities bring reality to risk. 

Each leads us to the upsides and downsides of how we can best prepare for the risks life and work throw at us.

It is here that the lesson lies.

If you want to think about the worst-case scenario like a pro, then the motto you need to carry is this: be prepared.

Being prepared means you have considered the worst thing that can happen. It means your planning was effective.

You've opened your mind to think through what can go wrong.

Just so we are clear, this post isn't about bad weather. 😉

Learn more about worst-case scenario planning here: https://lnkd.in/eVWQQHRf

Darren Matthews

I Help Leaders Beat Decision Fatigue | Founder, Decision Mastery

taplio

Darren Matthews's Linkedin Analytics

Darren Matthews

Performance ScoreDarren Matthews's LinkedIn Performance

What is Darren talking about?

Darren Matthews's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

.css-6ytdur{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39, 43, 72, 1) 0%, rgba(33, 47, 183, 1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Darren Matthews's Linkedin Analytics

Darren Matthews

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Darren Matthews's LinkedIn Performance

What is Darren talking about?

Darren Matthews's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Darren Matthews's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreDarren Matthews's LinkedIn Performance

Darren Matthews's Best Posts (last 30 days)