Decision Making

5 steps to getting things done

October 28, 2015
Here, in a nutshell, is David Allen’s famous five-step process for getting things under control, whether what you’re trying to accomplish is through your team, your division or your organization.

Why leaders must be resilient

October 23, 2015
Have you ever worked with someone who was a manager but not a leader? Ever worked with someone who couldn’t make a decision?

Beware of the ‘new = better’ equation

July 17, 2015
Psychologically, most of us tend to favor hiring promising outsiders over people we know well. That’s because when we know very little about someone, we might envision a rosy future in which the candidate proves a superstar …

Boost your impact with bold moves

June 26, 2015
As vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Bill Owens was the second-highest-ranking military officer in the United States. But before he took that job, he aced a tough assignment in downsizing the U.S. Navy during the early 1990s.

Scared to make decisions? Watch out

April 16, 2015
Many would-be leaders fall into the trap of treating their decisions as moving targets, wavering after setting a direction or backing away from a commitment, leaving employees in a muddle. Do you?

Leaders, you can’t do everything

April 10, 2015
The vain attempt to be all things to all people continues to debilitate leaders and organizations.

How Nate Silver makes his calls

March 9, 2015

Great decision-makers aren’t just bold and smart. They also tend to analyze large amounts of data in order to draw conclusions that others might miss. Take Nate Silver, 37, a statistician with an impressive track record for making correct predictions in sports and politics.

Why Intuit CEO says forget forecasting

December 1, 2014

Scott Cook, co-founder and chairman of Intuit, has built a huge company helping executives make decisions using his financial management software. Yet Cook frowns on financial forecasting. In fact, he requests that his employees avoid spending time forecasting the numbers relating to their unit’s sales and expenses.

Resist the push to make bad decisions

October 1, 2014
As you near a deadline to close a sale, negotiate a deal or make a big decision, the inexorable push to complete it can undermine your judgment. So how do you stay focused and logical?

Embrace a less-is-more approach

September 10, 2014

The constant push to add new projects can stymie your team’s success. Adopting a less-is-more philosophy can free up time for those high-priority tasks that merit the most attention.