Lecture N.

Decision making
Soft skills for engineers
Decision making 2

Agenda
1. What is decision making?
2. The process of decision making
3. What Can Prevent Effective Decision-Making?
Decision making 3

Agenda
1. What is decision making?
2. The process of decision making
3. What Can Prevent Effective Decision-Making?
Introduction to Project management 4

1. What is decision making?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tCYy66CyuQ
Introduction to Project management 5

1. What is decision making?

• Decision-making is the act of choosing between

two or more courses of action.
• Decision making is the act of choosing one
alternative from among a set of alternatives.
• Decision making is the process of making choices
by identifying a decision, gathering information,
and assessing alternative resolutions.

• In the wider process of problem-solving, decision-making involves choosing between possible

solutions to a problem. Decisions can be made through either an intuitive or reasoned
process, or a combination of the two.
Introduction to Project management 6

1. What is decision making?

Intuition
Intuition is using your ‘gut feeling’ about possible courses of action.

• Although people talk about it as if it was a magical ‘sense’,

intuition is actually a combination of past experience and
your personal values.
• It reflects your learning about life.
• It is, however, not always based on reality, only your
perceptions.
• It is therefore worth examining your gut feeling closely,
especially if you have a very strong feeling against a
particular course of action, to see if you can work out why,
and whether the feeling is justified.
Introduction to Project management 7

1. What is decision making?

Reasoning
Reasoning is using the facts and figures in front of you to make decisions.

• Reasoning has its roots in the here-and-now, and in facts.

• It can, however, ignore emotional aspects to the decision and
issues from the past that may affect the way that the decision
is implemented.
• More complicated decisions tend to require a more formal,
structured approach, usually involving both intuition and
reasoning.
• It is important to be wary of impulsive reactions to a
situation.
Introduction to Project management 8

1. What is decision making?

Applying Both Reason and Intuition

To apply the two aspects in turn is a good solution.

It’s useful to start with reason, and gather facts and figures.
Once you have an obvious ‘decision’, it’s the turn of intuition.
How do you feel about the ‘answer’? Does it feel right?
If not, have another look, and see if you can work out why not.
If you’re not emotionally committed to the decision you’ve
made, you won’t implement it well or effectively.
Decision making 9

Agenda
1. What is decision making?
2. The process of decision making
3. What Can Prevent Effective Decision-Making?
Decision making 10

2. The process of decision making

Review your decision & its

consequences

Take action

Choose among alternatives

Weigh the evidence

Identify the alternatives

Gather relevant information

Identify the decision

Decision making 11

2. The process of decision making

You realize that you need to make a decision. Try to clearly
define the nature of the decision you must make. This first
step is very important. In this step, the problem is thoroughly
analyzed. Review your decision & its
There are a couple of questions one should ask when it comes consequences
to identifying the purpose of the decision.
• What exactly is the problem? Take action
• Why the problem should be solved?
• Who are the affected parties of the problem? Choose among alternatives

Weigh the evidence

Identify the alternatives

Gather relevant information

Identify the decision

Decision making 12

2. The process of decision making

• Collect some pertinent information before you make your
decision: what information is needed, the best sources of
information, and how to get it.
• This step involves both internal and external “work.” Review your decision & its
• Some information is internal: you’ll seek it through a consequences
process of self-assessment.
• Other information is external: you’ll find it online, in books, Take action
from other people, and from other sources.
Choose among alternatives

Weigh the evidence

Identify the alternatives

Gather relevant information

Identify the decision

Decision making 13

2. The process of decision making

• As you collect information, you will
probably identify several possible
paths of action, or alternatives.
You can also use your imagination
Review your decision & its
and additional information to
construct new alternatives. In this consequences
step, you will list all possible and
desirable alternatives. Take action
• Brainstorming to list down all the
ideas is the best option. Before the Choose among alternatives
idea generation step, it is vital to
understand the causes of the Weigh the evidence
problem and prioritization of
causes. Identify the alternatives

Gather relevant information

Identify the decision

Decision making 14

2. The process of decision making

• Use your judgement principles and
decision-making criteria to
evaluate each alternative.
• In this step, experience and Review your decision & its
effectiveness of the judgement
consequences
principles come into play.
• You need to compare each Take action
alternative for their positives and
negatives.
Choose among alternatives

Weigh the evidence

Identify the alternatives

Gather relevant information

Identify the decision

Decision making 15

2. The process of decision making

• Once you have weighed all the
evidence, you are ready to select
the alternative that seems to be
best one for you.
Review your decision & its
• You may even choose a
consequences
combination of alternatives.
Take action

Choose among alternatives

Weigh the evidence

Identify the alternatives

Gather relevant information

Identify the decision

Decision making 16

2. The process of decision making

• You’re now ready to take some
positive action by beginning to
implement the alternative you
chose in Step 5.
Review your decision & its
• Convert your decision into a plan
consequences
or a sequence of activities.
Take action

Choose among alternatives

Weigh the evidence

Identify the alternatives

Gather relevant information

Identify the decision

Decision making 17

2. The process of decision making

• In this final step, consider the results of
your decision and evaluate whether or
not it has resolved the need you
identified in Step 1.
Review your decision & its
• If the decision has not met the identified
consequences
need, you may want to repeat certain
steps of the process to make a new
decision. Take action
• For example, you might want to gather
Choose among alternatives
more detailed or somewhat different
information or explore additional
alternatives. Weigh the evidence

Identify the alternatives

Gather relevant information

Identify the decision

Decision making 18

Agenda
1. What is decision making?
2. The process of decision making
3. What can prevent effective decision-making?
Decision making 19

3. What can prevent effective decision-

making?
There are a number of problems that can prevent effective decision-making.

Not Enough Information Too Much Information

Decision making 20

3. What can prevent effective decision-

making?
There are a number of problems that can prevent effective decision-making.

Emotional Attachments No Emotional Attachment

Decision making 21

3. What can prevent effective decision-

making?
There are a number of problems that can prevent effective decision-making.

Too Many People Vested Interests

Contact
Anna Bardassian, PhD

[email protected]

Fachhochshule Dortmund University of Applied Sciences & Arts

Dormund
Germany