| We are so accustomed to making decisions every | | | | Getting to Yes, the classic book on principled |
| day that many of us have stopped thinking about how | | | | negotiation, made the important observation that a |
| we do it. We're all supposed to be able to make | | | | focus on Interests, rather than on Positions, moves |
| decisions, just like we should all be able to walk and | | | | negotiations forward. This insight also applies to real life |
| chew gum at the same time. As a result, many people | | | | decision making. Tough decisions that affect other |
| don't ever admit that they are having trouble making | | | | people require us to focus on the interests at the table. |
| important decisions that affect their family, friends, or | | | | Understanding the involved parties' interests allows us |
| colleagues. | | | | to be sure we have identified the appropriate goals; |
| This series of articles explores the reality of decision | | | | that we recognize as many of the potential constraints |
| making, to help individuals make better, more effective | | | | on making or implementing the decision; and that we |
| decisions. Here, we discuss basic, "rational" decision | | | | have the best quality information we can obtain. |
| making processes and how they differ from real life, | | | | The Interest-Based Decision Process has 12 steps: |
| "nonrational" decision making. To clarify the real life | | | | |
| process, we introduce the interests-based decision | | | | 1. Define your interests in the decision, and the interests |
| making process. | | | | of other parties. |
| Isn't a Decision Just a Decision...I Make Them All The | | | | 2. Clearly identify the goal or goals of the decision. |
| Time! | | | | 3. Recognize constraints. |
| Nothing could be further from the truth than the notion | | | | 4. Gather information relevant to the decision and its |
| that once you've learned to make one kind of decision, | | | | consequences. |
| you can make all kinds of decisions without help. | | | | 5. Evaluate the quality of that information. |
| Authors have outlined several processes for making | | | | 6. Consider trade-offs. |
| good choices. These processes--ranging from leap | | | | 7. Detect possible mistakes, errors, or biases that could |
| before you look, to careful calculations, to flip a coin--all | | | | affect the decision |
| work, each in a different context, and with specific | | | | 8. Analyze the decision for potential consequences |
| kinds of people. | | | | (risks), and how it might affect others. |
| The rest of us prefer an approach that captures the | | | | 9. Commit to the decision. |
| spirit and not just the facts of the decision. For those | | | | 10. Decide. |
| people, this article introduces the interest-based | | | | 11. Evaluate the decision. |
| decision process. | | | | 12. Revise as necessary. |
| Basic Decision-Making Processes | | | | Funny, My Decisions Seem a Lot Easier |
| In the simplest decision making process, between two | | | | Most daily decisions happen so quickly, you may not |
| roughly similar alternatives, you often choose what | | | | even recognize that you're involved in a process. If you |
| "feels best". This process helps when you decide | | | | struggle with a decision for a while, you may notice |
| between a cashmere or fleece jacket. However, your | | | | that you're stuck on one step. However, you might still |
| off-the-cuff feelings fail when you consider alternatives | | | | not realize that you went through, or will complete, all |
| with more implications than fashion bragging rights. | | | | the other steps as well. |
| When the stakes are substantial, or if your options | | | | For some decisions, the process is automatic. |
| have a variety of features (two apartments may | | | | Cognitive psychologists call some of these automatic |
| have different amounts of storage, numbers of | | | | decisions scripts, similar to scripts for a TV show. For |
| bathrooms, and rent), decision specialists recommend | | | | example, when you pass someone in the street who |
| another relatively easy process: make a table, lay out | | | | you know, you might say "How are you?" without |
| the alternatives and their main features, and assign | | | | thinking about it. You might even do that if you don't |
| positive or negative values to each. Add them all up, | | | | particularly like the person. The feeling of "why did I |
| and the highest (or lowest) number determines your | | | | say that?" comes from the speed in which a script |
| decision. | | | | operates. Your response was so automatic, you didn't |
| Using a logical, mathematical approach is known as | | | | even have a chance to decide to act. |
| rational decision making. Laying out a matrix like this | | | | For unscripted, tough decisions, however, scripts can |
| works well for business decisions, and it appeals to | | | | be obstacles. You and those involved in the decision |
| many people who are themselves very logical or | | | | with you probably do need to work through each step, |
| business-minded. | | | | checking whether automatic responses are really |
| Some people who try this approach find that they | | | | appropriate. |
| have to tweak the relative weights for the options until | | | | Each person involved has a specific set of interests, |
| it "feels" right, and run the analysis again. If a tie | | | | and a specific set of constraints, automatic responses, |
| between two alternatives results, some people | | | | and goals. What may have originally seemed as a |
| suggest flipping a coin. If you find you don't like the way | | | | decision that you, a single decision maker, had to make, |
| the coin landed, you have learned something about the | | | | may in fact be a group decision. The interests based |
| option you prefer. It's not very scientific, but it can be | | | | decision process allows--in fact encourages--group |
| very effective. | | | | decision making, including, for example, negotiation to |
| Research into the psychology of decision making | | | | handle trade-offs. |
| shows us how our minds can mislead us, making most | | | | Using A Facilitator For some particularly tough |
| of less than "rational" in decision making.. The need to | | | | multiparty decisions, perhaps even involving negotiation, |
| tweak, or to rely on a coin flip to clarify our thinking, | | | | you may find that a facilitator is helpful. A trained |
| points to the fact that most of us need to understand | | | | decision specialist will: |
| the essence of the decision, not simply make it as if | | | | |
| we were computers. We need to understand the | | | | 1. Make sure that everyone's interests are represented |
| interests that underlie it. | | | | and defined. Seeing through a position, and getting |
| Nonrational (Real Life) Decision Making | | | | down to the interest behind it, can be difficult for |
| Some economists claim that any interest or | | | | individuals close to the decision. |
| preference can be represented by an expected value. | | | | 2. Facilitate discussions about trade-offs and related |
| Most other people, however, find the idea of reducing | | | | concerns. |
| their interests to a number to be beside the point. We | | | | 3. Make sure that the goal appropriately reflects these |
| recognize that understanding, even struggling with, | | | | interests. |
| interests and preferences: and making trade-offs is | | | | 4. Suggest methods of uncovering contingencies and |
| part of the "real-life" decision making process. We also | | | | risks |
| recognize that it's generally not a one-time thing: Tough | | | | 5. Provide approaches to uncovering information that |
| decisions will reappear (sometimes as the | | | | you may not have considered. |
| consequence of an earlier decision). So having a | | | | 6. Identify potential cognitive biases or ineffective rules |
| workable process in place is very useful. | | | | of thumb that you may be using. |
| Tough decisions that don't seem to be solved by a | | | | Making Better Decisions |
| rational process (what we can call nonrational | | | | Thinking about decision making as a process in which it |
| decisions) share several characteristics: | | | | makes sense to collect facts, opinions, and analyses |
| | | | from other people, immediately makes you a stronger |
| 1. Require us to think more than we are accustomed | | | | decision maker. Realizing that it isn't a weakness on |
| to about what is important to us; about what we | | | | your part, or a failure of your self confidence or |
| consider to be our interests. | | | | upbringing or potty training, that you feel better |
| 2. Involve other people's preferences. | | | | consulting a facilitator or decision specialist for some |
| 3. Affect other people. | | | | decisions, will improve the outcomes of your decisions. |
| 4. Require information that is not readily available. | | | | A good facilitator, in fact, will teach transferable skills |
| Interest Based Decision Making Process | | | | that will help you approach the next tough decision |
| Years ago, Roger Fisher and William Ury, authors of | | | | more effectively. |