Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Critical Skills Series Effective Decision Making (Course Code: 106)

Course Schedule:

Please call 8622 8900 or email us for further information

Overview:

This course demonstrates various approaches to facilitating the process to make decisions based upon solid foundation of reason and strategy.

Learning Method:

This course uses a combination of instructor presentation, and student hands-on practical exercises. Participants will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom throughout the course.

Who will benefit from this course?

This course is intended for people who need to know how to ensure good decisions are being made and be able to justify any course of action taken.

Pre-requisites:

There are no formal requirements to attend this course.

What can you expect to gain from this course?

This course will give you the techniques, awareness, and attitudes that will make you a more effective decision-maker, both when making decisions individually and as part of a group. An effective decision-making process that you can apply in your own personal and organisational decision-making will be described.

Course Content:

Module 1:Decision-making in context

What is decision-making?
Why it is so important personally and professionally
How decision-making differs from problem solving
Individual versus group decision-making
Intuitive versus rational decision-making: when to trust your gut
Fitting a decision-making process to a problem
Exercise: Case studies of decision-making. Review and comment on how the decision was made, intuitive versus rational techniques applied, group dynamics etc.

Module 2:Introduction to the decision-making process

Understanding your decision-making environment
Considering style and/or biases
Framing the problem
Gathering information
Deciding what to do
Implementing the decision
Reviewing process and outcomes
Exercise: Complete the supplied questionnaire on your own organisation’s decision-making process, and be prepared to discuss with the class

Module 3:Understanding your decision-making environment

Managing decision-complexity
Dealing with uncertainty of outcome
Managing time pressures
Making effort proportional to consequence
Exercise: Question for team discussion: what are the two or three biggest challenges in effective decision-making you face, both as individuals and as organisations?

Module 4:Considering style and/or biases

Typical psychological biases: illusion of control, over-confidence, status quo bias etc
Influence of personal style on decision-making
Two common typologies DISC and MBTI (introduction only)
Organisational styles of decision-making
How to compensate for organisational/personal biases
Exercise: Reviewing your personal decision-making history

Module 5:Framing the problem

Prioritising decisions
Detecting and tabling key assumptions
Ensuring a diversity of views is presented
The need to generate alternative options:
Exercise: Overcoming the positive test strategy

Module 6:Gathering information

Asking appropriate questions: checklist
Using both internal and external data sources
Interpreting data: the need for hypotheses
How much is enough? - Avoiding “analysis paralysis”
Exercise: Case study - then psychologists know too much

Module 7:Deciding what to do

How to ensure dialogue and debate
The dangers of false consensus
Separating facts from emotions and values
Avoiding premature conclusions
Using analytical techniques
Exercise: Using analytical techniques, e.g. decision trees, option swaps, etc

Module 8:Implementing the decision

Mobilising resources and commitment
Monitoring decision outcomes
When things go wrong: responding to implementation surprises
Exercise: Preserving your flexibility of action in decision-making

Module 9:Reviewing the process and outcomes

How to audit a decision-making process
The need to review predictions and outcomes
Measures for implementing personal/organisational accountability
Exercise: How to review your personal and organisational decision-making process