Reasons For Decision And Decision

Decision making appears to be a simple activity but the process leading to a decision is quite complex. Unique aspect of decision making is that it is always done in advance but people weigh it in hindsight. Therefore, predicting a decision to be right or wrong at the time of decision making is always as good a guess as is the decision itself. What is required at this stage is to understand the factors that may be impacting the decision maker and then accept or reject the decision being taken then and there.On the contrary, people tend to judge a decision as good or bad after the outcome is known which, in author's view, is not fair to the decision-maker. Success of a decision is not in it being good or bad, right or wrong, but being accepted when it is taken and not after knowing the outcome. Author believes that acceptance of a decision is of far greater significance than the decision itself, as unless accepted, a decision has no relevance.People not only accept or reject decision made by others but also by self. If you thought accepting other's decision is more difficult then think again; you would be surprised that many times accepting own decision is far more difficult. Actually when others make a decision, we can debate it, criticize it, pass on judgment but in almost all cases we forget it after sometime. However, when we make a decision, we consciously or unconsciously, keep deliberating and judging it for a long time. Accepting or rejecting our own decision impacts our behaviour more than when we accept or reject decision made by others and this influences our future actions towards every new situation.An important aspect in the process is segregating decision-maker and decision-acceptor. The acceptor of the decision has to have faith in the decision-maker and be aware of the factors that the decision-maker has taken into consideration while arriving at the decision. When others are taking decision, this is much easier but when one takes decision where he is also a significantly impacted stakeholder of the decision, this becomes really difficult. In fact people tend to swing between the role of a decision-maker and decision-acceptor throughout the process.As a decision-maker, you should only worry about coming out with the most appropriate decision to meet the expected outcome using your knowledge, available information, and other such factors. As a decision-acceptor you should be focused on knowing the decision-maker and various factors that he has used to arrive at the decision. If you are convinced with that, you should accept the decision without really worrying about the outcomeThis book is an attempt to bring in awareness about some key factors that influences decision making so that the stakeholders become better acceptors of a decision while it is being taken irrespective of the outcome. Let us always remember "Decision is just a decision at the time it is made, it is neither good nor bad."

Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions -- both big and small -- have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice -- the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish -- becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice -- from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs -- has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse. By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counter intuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on those that are important and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.

Learn how to make better; faster decisions. You make decisions every day--from prioritizing your to-do list to choosing which long-term innovation projects to pursue. But most decisions don't have a clear-cut answer, and assessing the alternatives and the risks involved can be overwhelming. You need a smarter approach to making the best choice possible. The HBR Guide to Making Better Decisions provides practical tips and advice to help you generate more-creative ideas, evaluate your alternatives fairly, and make the final call with confidence. You'll learn how to: Overcome the cognitive biases that can skew your thinking Look at problems in new ways Manage the trade-offs between options Balance data with your own judgment React appropriately when you've made a bad choice Communicate your decision--and overcome any resistance Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, from a source you trust. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

From the Nobel Prize-winning author of Thinking, Fast and Slow and the coauthor of Nudge, a revolutionary exploration of why people make bad judgments and how to make better ones—"a tour de force” (New York Times). Imagine that two doctors in the same city give different diagnoses to identical patients—or that two judges in the same courthouse give markedly different sentences to people who have committed the same crime. Suppose that different interviewers at the same firm make different decisions about indistinguishable job applicants—or that when a company is handling customer complaints, the resolution depends on who happens to answer the phone. Now imagine that the same doctor, the same judge, the same interviewer, or the same customer service agent makes different decisions depending on whether it is morning or afternoon, or Monday rather than Wednesday. These are examples of noise: variability in judgments that should be identical. In Noise, Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein show the detrimental effects of noise in many fields, including medicine, law, economic forecasting, forensic science, bail, child protection, strategy, performance reviews, and personnel selection. Wherever there is judgment, there is noise. Yet, most of the time, individuals and organizations alike are unaware of it. They neglect noise. With a few simple remedies, people can reduce both noise and bias, and so make far better decisions. Packed with original ideas, and offering the same kinds of research-based insights that made Thinking, Fast and Slow and Nudge groundbreaking New York Times bestsellers, Noise explains how and why humans are so susceptible to noise in judgment—and what we can do about it.

This expanded and updated quick-reference source reflects recent changes in Canadian law. It provides a concise guide to legal citation, and information on relevant source materials, particularly cases and statutes. Barron's Canadian Law Dictionary defines the major legal terms, particularly those that have arisen in the context of new and developing areas of Canadian laws. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is presented in its entirety. This latest revised edition provides valuable new material on the Canadian court system. Book jacket.

People often follow intuitive principles of decision making, ranging from group loyalty to the belief that nature is benign. But instead of using these principles as rules of thumb, we often treat them as absolutes and ignore the consequences of following them blindly. In Judgment Misguided, Jonathan Baron explores our well-meant and deeply felt personal intuitions about what is right and wrong, and how they affect the public domain. Baron argues that when these intuitions are valued in their own right, rather than as a means to another end, they often prevent us from achieving the results we want. Focusing on cases where our intuitive principles take over public decision making, the book examines some of our most common intuitions and the ways they can be misused. According to Baron, we can avoid these problems by paying more attention to the effects of our decisions. Written in a accessible style, the book is filled with compelling case studies, such as abortion, nuclear power, immigration, and the decline of the Atlantic fishery, among others, which illustrate a range of intuitions and how they impede the public's best interests. Judgment Misguided will be important reading for those involved in public decision making, and researchers and students in psychology and the social sciences, as well as everyone looking for insight into the decisions that affect us all.