Daniel Doktori. Summary. Negotiators who understand the most common decision rules — majority rule, chair decides and unanimity/consensus — and how to navigate each, can drive more favorable Financial guru Dave Ramsey, author of EntreLeadership (Howard Books, 2011) who trains leaders on better decision-making, says the key steps include: Set a deadline. “Procrastination can be Take a break and come back later. It's easy to get overwhelmed, especially when making a complex or important decision. Take a break and give yourself some time so you can come back to it with a fresh eye. Ask for outside input. Talking to other people can be a great way to get different perspectives on the situation. My guest today has studied the latest research in decision making theory and formulated a better approach. His name is Steven Johnson, his latest book is Farsighted: How We Make the Decisions That Matter the Most, and today he walks us through how to move beyond listing pros and cons to using a more effective 3-step decision making process. Getting to convergence: decision making as part of a longer process. The act of taking a decision is only one step in a longer decision making process. That process begins once a problem is stated, and its scope defined (“What do we need to solve?”). And it ends (if ever) once a decision is evaluated and looked back at in retrospect. . Appoint a devil’s advocate. Collect opinions independently. Provide a safe space to speak up. Don’t over-rely on experts. And share collective responsibility for the outcome. When you have a 3. Develop Alternatives. Brainstorm and identify your options. You want to make sure you have enough options that you can make a good decision, but not so many that you feel overwhelmed. 4. List Pros and Cons. In this step, weigh the evidence and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each. Speed, believes Gardner, is an invidious force that works against good decisions being taken. “It is just the wrong way to do it,” he says. “Everything we know about organisational theory confirms this, and everything we know about psychology confirms this. So politicians have to learn to push back against it.”. Debating with yourself, even for a short time, can help you make better decisions at the moment. 10. Embrace the consequences. Every decision you make has consequences for you, and potentially for other people as well. Try to adjust your thinking to make decisions without worrying about making mistakes. The Decision-Driven Organization. by. Marcia W. Blenko, Michael Mankins, and. Paul Rogers. From the Magazine (June 2010) Many CEOs assume that organizational structure—the boxes and lines on a

how to get better at making decisions