Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Problem Solving and Decision Making (32-slide PowerPoint presentation). According to McKinsey, structured problem solving can be used to address almost any complex challenge in business or public policy. Consulting deliverables typically take the form of PowerPoint presentations. AIM: 1. This document explains how to identify, define and solve problems in a [read more]
3 Decision Making Models of Human Decision Making Process
Also, if you are interested in becoming an expert on Organizational Leadership (OL), take a look at Flevy's Organizational Leadership (OL) Frameworks offering here. This is a curated collection of best practice frameworks based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. By learning and applying these concepts, you can you stay ahead of the curve. Full details here.
* * * *
How do people make decisions? Do they always follow a rational linear process to come to a conclusion?
Studies have suggested that the traditional Decision Making model—commonly known as the Rational Decision Making Model—does not explain the whole ambit of Decision Making.
People, including managers of organizations, arrive at decisions using a variety of routes. Experts suggest that there are at least 3 Decision Making Models that work in consonance to make the best decisions. The 3 Decision Making Models are:
- Thinking First – Rational Decision Making
- Seeing First – Insight-driven Decision Making
- Doing First – Experimentation-based Decision Making
The latter 2 models need to supplement the 1st in order, for people in general and managers in particular, to improve the quality of Decision Making. Developing a strong understanding of these foundational Decision Making models is recommended for any Business Leader who seeks to make better, more informed, more rational decisions.
Experts have suggested that people have the capacity to use all 3 models for arriving at a decision and so do organizations.
The 3 approaches to Decision Making draw a parallel from science, art, and craft. People who are partial to Thinking are more into facts, those who favor Seeing appreciate ideas, and people who prefer Doing always value experiences.
Let us delve a little deeper into the details of the 3 Decision Making Models—Thinking, Seeing, Doing.
Thinking First
More commonly known as the Rational Decision Making Model, this model has a clearly identified process. It is linear, logical, effortless, and iterative—i.e., keeps travelling back and forth with interludes for new events, alterations for opportunities until conclusively arriving at a decision.
Thinking First Model is associated with science and is mainly verbal in nature i.e., comprising of linear words. People leaning towards the Thinking Model prefer facts.
Usually, the Thinking First Model is used in well-founded production processes. Thinking First succeeds when:
- The matter is well-defined.
- The data is trustworthy.
- The situation is structured.
- Thoughts can be restrained.
- Discipline can be applied.
However real-life Decision Making exposes some limitations in the Thinking First Model as rational Decision Making is uncommon.
Seeing First
Decisions are motivated as much by what is Seen as by what is thought. Visualization and conceptualization of a problem or situation is the basis for the Seeing First Model. It is usually used in creative solution finding. Experts have identified 4 steps in creative discovery:
- Preparation
- Incubation
- Illumination
- Verification
An example of Seeing First Model will be Mozart’s allusion to the best part of creating his music; “when I am able to see the whole of it at a single glance in my mind.”
Seeing First Model works ideally in circumstances where:
- Numerous elements have to be pooled into a creative solution.
- Commitment to the solution is steadfast.
- Communication takes place beyond boundaries.
Doing First
When stumped for a solution, diving head first and tinkering with a problem—bringing Problem Solving Mindset characteristics into play—leads to the necessary insights following trial and error. Attempting various things, discovering which among them functions, finding meaning in that and repeating the productive behaviors while abandoning the rest is the gist of Doing First Model.
Experts have identified 3 stages of this process:
- Enactment
- Selection
- Retention
Doing First Model is ideal, when for example, companies are faced with disruptive technologies or unchartered territories.
Interested in learning more about the 3 Decision Making Models: Thinking, Seeing, Doing? You can download an editable PowerPoint on Decision Making Models: Thinking, Seeing, Doing here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Do You Find Value in This Framework?
You can download in-depth presentations on this and hundreds of similar business frameworks from the FlevyPro Library. FlevyPro is trusted and utilized by 1000s of management consultants and corporate executives. Here’s what some have to say:
“My FlevyPro subscription provides me with the most popular frameworks and decks in demand in today’s market. They not only augment my existing consulting and coaching offerings and delivery, but also keep me abreast of the latest trends, inspire new products and service offerings for my practice, and educate me in a fraction of the time and money of other solutions. I strongly recommend FlevyPro to any consultant serious about success.”
– Bill Branson, Founder at Strategic Business Architects
“As a niche strategic consulting firm, Flevy and FlevyPro frameworks and documents are an on-going reference to help us structure our findings and recommendations to our clients as well as improve their clarity, strength, and visual power. For us, it is an invaluable resource to increase our impact and value.”
– David Coloma, Consulting Area Manager at Cynertia Consulting
“FlevyPro has been a brilliant resource for me, as an independent growth consultant, to access a vast knowledge bank of presentations to support my work with clients. In terms of RoI, the value I received from the very first presentation I downloaded paid for my subscription many times over! The quality of the decks available allows me to punch way above my weight – it’s like having the resources of a Big 4 consultancy at your fingertips at a microscopic fraction of the overhead.”
– Roderick Cameron, Founding Partner at SGFE Ltd
Want to Achieve Excellence in Organizational Leadership (OL)?
Gain the knowledge and develop the expertise to become an expert in Organizational Leadership (OL). Our frameworks are based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. Click here for full details.
For both the current executives and leaders of tomorrow, our frameworks address 2 facets of Leadership:
1. How to elevate your management skills to becoming a Leader in your organization.
2. How to elevate your organization to becoming the Leader in your Industry.
Learn about our Organizational Leadership (OL) Best Practice Frameworks here.
Readers of This Article Are Interested in These Resources
|
41-slide PowerPoint presentation
|
|
28-slide PowerPoint presentation
| |||
About Mark Bridges
Mark Bridges is a Senior Director of Strategy at Flevy. Flevy is your go-to resource for best practices in business management, covering management topics from Strategic Planning to Operational Excellence to Digital Transformation (view full list here). Learn how the Fortune 100 and global consulting firms do it. Improve the growth and efficiency of your organization by leveraging Flevy's library of best practice methodologies and templates. Prior to Flevy, Mark worked as an Associate at McKinsey & Co. and holds an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. You can connect with Mark on LinkedIn here.Top 10 Recommended Documents on Decision Making
» View more resources Decision Making here.
» View the Top 100 Best Practices on Flevy.