Thinking, Judging & Decision-Making

Module Overview

The ever changing economic situation is an important reminder of as how prone we can be to pitfalls in thinking, judging and decision-making – & to the need for systematic tools & techniques to explore repercussions widely.

The 1-day training course is both theoretical and practical.

The theoretical part examines:

• How we think: concepts, theories and research on thinking, judgement and decision-making; the role of analysis, personality type, emotional states and perceptual biases.
• Different types of thinking & decision-making for different purposes: creative, analytical, conceptual, “lateral”, strategic, problem-solving, risk based and multi criteria decision making.

The practical part looks at:

• Practical stages in the thinking and decision-making processes: defining the issue, gathering information, generating ideas, evaluating options, mitigating risks, implementing decisions, etc.
• Techniques, tools and tricks – & the common pitfalls; with exercises to enable participants to practice.

The overall intention of this 1-day training course on Thinking, Judging & Decision-Making is to make delegates more decisive in their daily activities, yet more rounded in their assessment of risks and more independent in their challenge of assumptions – all based on a comprehensive suite of ideas, tools and processes presented.

Learning Outcomes

• Gain awareness of the major pitfalls affecting human decision-making, including groupthink, compromise & procrastination.
• Develop a system to be cautious, creative and thorough in analysing problems and issues – & reaching robust conclusions.
• Learn a toolkit of decision-making techniques to apply in different situations – alone, in groups & in consultation with stakeholders.
• Identify individual decision-making styles & use proven techniques to round out one’s individual perspectives.
• Appreciate the differences between root causes and symptoms – applying the right solution, to the right problem, at the right time.
• Become skilled in assessing the consequences of one’s decisions, identifying opportunities & risks – and allowing one to act more decisively.

Programme Content

-Decision-Making Styles
We will explore the four types of decision-makers. Participants will work in small groups to identify their strengths and weaknesses with each style, and how to use that knowledge to become better decision-makers.

-Common Pitfalls in Decision-Making
We will survey the rational & behavioural perspectives of decision-making and the extraneous influencing factors – thinking styles, emotional states and perceptual frames.

-Decision-Making Model
Participants will learn a 6-stage analytical model that they can apply to all decisions, and have an opportunity to apply the model to different situations.

-Decision-Making Toolkit
We will introduce 12 powerful decision-making tools. Then, participants will apply these tools to a case study in a large group discussion.

-Root-cause Analysis
We will practice a systematic technique to get to the essence of an issue – tracking causes rather than symptoms, using a 4-stage process with some illustrative examples.

-Thinking Outside the Box
Participants will learn ways to encourage creative thinking, including DeBono’s six thinking hats.

-Managing Uncertainty & Risk
We will explore the aspects of risk, and the establishment of key risk management attributes, attending complex decisions. We will work through the seven R’s and four T’s of risk management.

This course is suited for
Senior Managers, Middle Managers & Team Leaders