Contrary to everything you’ve heard or experienced, debating pros and cons is not the way to make a decision! As with many practices—practices like SWOT and the pursuit of low-hanging fruit—just because it’s common doesn’t mean it is effective.

So here is the problem. Pros and cons are features of alternatives and often irrelevant to what you are trying to accomplish.

I spent part of my weekend selecting hotels for an upcoming trip to Portugal. It was fun reading about gorgeous views, lovely gardens, patios, and delectable food. Now were I to make my decisions using pros and cons, I would be enticed by a fabulous list of pros that might look like this:

• ocean view
• beachfront
• heated pool
• 5 stars
• full breakfast included with the room
• onsite spa
• private balcony
• separate sitting room
• full gym overlooking the sea
• lavish breakfast in the garden
• refrigerator and kitchenette
• 24/7 conciergegood restaurants nearby

And the cons, assuming I am not so awed by the pros that I forget all about cons, might look like this:

• hard pillows
• loud bar noise into the night
• and, from a few disgruntled reviewers, comments like: “the breakfast wasn’t as great as advertised” and “staff wasn’t friendly”

The most compelling list of pros would win, barring really negative cons or budget constraints.

So why is this a problem? Why shouldn’t these positive and negative features drive our decisions?

Because, no matter how compelling, many of those features are irrelevant to the situation. For example:

• You could be staying one night, arriving late, and leaving early. You will have no time for the spa, beach, pool, gym, kitchen, or sitting room. You might enjoy a late night glass of wine on the balcony listening to the waves, but many of the other features will be irrelevant.
• You prefer to try different restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops each morning instead of being confined to one restaurant in the same hotel.
• You don’t really like spas. They sound luxurious, but you’d rather be outside exploring, especially with limited time in an exotic town.
• You would rather wander on your own than be whisked off by taxi to a restaurant suggested by a concierge.

Furthermore, if you rely on pros and cons, the most important features may not even have made the list! Hotels never list the amenities they lack!

• Your trip is in August. It might be very hot and air conditioning could be essential.
• You are arriving by car and a safe place to leave your car is a high priority.
• You plan to spend the next day in the old town, which is walled, loaded with sights, too quaint for words, and two miles from the beach.

Had you started with objectives, your decision criteria might have looked like this:

• AC (a must)
• safe parking (a must)
• as close as possible to the center of the old town
• classy old ambiance

Instead of a spa, gym, and pool, you might end up in a:

• 15th-century building with upgraded amenities
• 4 poster beds
• cool, narrow, stone corridors
• a balcony with a view of the town walls
• AC in case you need it to cool down or keep the street noise at bay
  peace of mind regarding your car

Features of alternatives should never drive your decisions. Marketers are great at enticing us with compelling features. It is okay if they influence your final decision, but only for alternatives that already meet your objectives. This is a critical difference and it is even more important when making decisions about your business. Avoid the pros and cons. Start with objectives:

• What are you trying to accomplish?
• What factors should guide this decision?
• What do I/we care about?
• What priorities and limitations are important to this decision?
• What would success look like?

Debating pros and cons comes way too easy for us and diverts our attention from the things that matter. Why do we do it? Two reasons. First, it is a simple method, like SWOT, that everyone can remember and apply. Second, the words “pros” and “cons” constitute just about the only shared vocabulary we have for making decisions. Time for a remedy: SOAR through decisions! Adopt a better acronym and a new vocabulary that will deliver better decisions, faster, and with greater acceptance and commitment.

Ann Latham is an expert on the transformative power of strategic clarity and author of The Clarity Papers. Download a free copy of The Clarity Quiz Collection from her website.

This article first appeared on Forbes, April 25th, 2018.