DEVELOPMENT
Get faster and better
at decision making
EAs are constantly tasked with making
decisions—some critical, others less so. It’s
important we know what type of strategy to
take when making decisions, so we can make
them better and faster says Bryan Whitefield
THE EXPERT
Bryan Whitefield
mentors executives in
organisations to increase
their influence and
improve decisions across
their organisation. He is
the author of Winning
Conversations: How to
turn red tape into blue
ribbon and delivers
his Persuasive Adviser
Program across all
sectors of the economy.
Here is the thing. You and I are good decision-
makers. It’s everyone else that has the problem.
We all have the same problem. We are fallible.
Our brains are really good but they are not perfect.
Research shows that our decision success varies a
lot based on the type of decision we are making.
For example, research conducted in the operating
of plant and machinery shows error rates as low as
0.04 percent for some decisions through to almost
a 50 percent error rate on others.
It is well recognised that our decision
making is influenced by a range of factors from
our training and experience to the emotions
we are feeling at a particular time. There have
been decades of research by psychologists and
behavioural scientists that demonstrate our
failings. Yet, what do we do about it?
Unfortunately, the inconvenient truth is
that we accept mediocrity in decision making.
When someone gets a big decision wrong we say,
“Everyone is entitled to a mistake. They will learn
from it.” I get that, but with so much research
into what affects our decision making, why aren’t
we doing more about it?
One answer is that we have not taken the time
to stop and think about the types of decisions we
make. Which ones are more complex than others?
Which ones are more important than others?
When are the important and complex decisions
being made, by whom and how? Is our approach
58 Chief of Staff | Issue 1 2020
good enough? A guy named Jeff Bezos who runs a
little company called Amazon has two categories
for decisions to guide him and his team. Type One
decisions are consequential and irreversible. Type
Two are consequential and reversible. Type One
should be considered very seriously and needs
time taken to get things right. Type Two should
be considered, a decision made and then every
member of the team needs to back the decision,
even those that argued against it.
I doubt there is any argument by you that time
should be taken over the Type One decisions. My
question is what do you and others do about Type
Two decisions? How do you get them right, fast?
Noble Prize-winning psychologist Daniel
Kahneman is author of Thinking, Fast and Slow.
He introduced the concept of System one and two
thinking. Be careful with this, as his one and two are
numbered opposite to Bezos. System one thinking
is fast thinking like we do when we use a rule of
thumb. For example, when the phone rings and
drops out we think, “It’s a pocket dial or they will
call back if it is important”. A perfectly reasonable
decision, which is to ignore the dropped call.
System Two thinking is more logical and
analytical. If the dropped call was from your
kid’s school, your system two thinking may kick
in. “Why would the school be calling me? Even
if it dropped out, there is a reason for the call.
Perhaps they have already moved to the next
number on the list? Maybe it is an emergency?
I think I’ll call just in case.” When I work with
teams to help them with FaB decision making, I
use a combination of the Kahneman and the Bezos
approach. Bezos is essentially further categorising
decisions that require System Two thinking into
irreversible (Type One) and reversible (Type
Two) decisions. I help teams identify from all
their business as usual decisions, which ones can
sometimes be more complex and important and
then which of them are reversible or irreversible.
That leaves us with three types of decisions for us
to work on. Core, Complex and Critical.
Core decisions are taken care of through
policy, process and systems, along with training.
For Complex decisions, I help the team to design
decision support tools. Ones each member of the
team can use in isolation and with others if that
is what is decided. For Critical decisions, I help
them identify how they will be handled. Usually
it is via a structured risk assessment.
As an EA you have the opportunity to
observe how decisions are being made in your
organisation. If you are observing problems, first
start with your own decisions. Categorise them
into Core, Complex and Critical and decide for
yourself if you have the appropriate methods in
use to ensure faster and better decision making. S
www.bryanwhitefield.com