Decision Making

Availability bias may be tripping you up

March 11, 2020
Good decision-making depends on obtaining sufficient information and using it effectively. What you learn toward the end of the data-gathering process can hijack your thinking and produce bad decisions. Here’s how to fight off information distortion.

How do you make decisions? It matters

February 14, 2020
There’s more to making decisions than simply choosing an option—it also pays to take into account the effects of the way you make decisions.

Open office, open mutiny

August 8, 2019
Q. Two months ago our office switched to an open office plan, which was partly my idea. And guess what? Everyone pretty much hates it. How do I salvage this situation when reverting back to the old way would shine so much light on my bad decision?

5 mental traps of decision-making

May 9, 2019
Heuristics are defined as mental shortcuts, or unconscious routines, to help us deal with the complexities of decision-making. Most of the time, these shortcuts serve us well—but they can undermine our objectivity. Here are five psychological traps, or biases, that often derail business decisions.

Got a problem? Think it over

May 2, 2019
Thinking through a problem deeply—long before taking any action—may be the key to solving it.

Pounce on fear to make progress

October 11, 2018
Most people respond to fear by trying to shove it aside so they can resume their work. But denying its intense power can prove futile.

Nobody likes a know-it-all

July 12, 2018
Both you and your people will benefit if you can show a little humility through simple asides, like “Sometimes I jump to conclusions.”

Take ‘4R’ test before deciding

June 14, 2018
When you get close to making a decision, apply this “4R Test” for leaders.

The ‘Monty Hall problem’: Logic gone bad

April 12, 2018
The “Monty Hall problem” became the subject of essays, papers and even books as an example of supposedly clear truths becoming anything but upon closer inspection.

Reach consensus fast

March 20, 2018
If you want 100% consensus before you make a decision, chances are you’ll be waiting a long time. Rather than trying to elicit a “Yes” from every member of your team, follow these steps.