Decision Making Models

Make better decisions by using tried and tested processes

Making decisions is critical to so many aspects of our daily work and stages of a programme, project or problem solving process.

We need to make the right decisions and decision making models, tools and techniques can provide valuable assistance.

Decision making models can help us with a vast range of decision challenges that come our way each day:

• Which direction do I take?
• Which supplier to I select?
• Which candidate is best?
• Which process should be improved?
• Which product should be replaced?
• What costs should be allocated to this initiative?
• Who is best to perform this role?
• How can I change things?
• How can effectiveness be improved?
• How can efficiency be improved?

Decision making models are constructs and tools and techniques that help us think about a problem, issue or dilemma in a logical manner and consider options in a constructive way.

Decision making models help you tackle difficult situations particularly where the options are complex or a simple choice between A, B or C but the influencing factors are many and the consequences complicated or the outcomes are marginal.

Like all models, decision making models assist but are not the answer in themselves.  

You still make the call either on your own or with a team at the end of the day.

Decision making models help as they:

• Organise information and data so that some sense can be made of it
• Structure the ideas and options in a consistent manner
• Visually present large and complex sets of data and complex concepts
• Provide a mechanism to summarise information 
• Demonstrate complex interrelationships and cause and effect relationships
• Present useful information in a quick and pragmatic manner
• Provide a process and methodology to deliver the above
• Simplify and enable communication to different audiences in a consistent way
• Provide a way that relevance can be understood along with urgency and importance

Decision making models therefore provide us with a framework that is useful to collate and represent data, explain and communicate issues and provide a process and pathway to a decision.

Models are useful for us when we have to deal with complexity or ambiguity and in times of complex and challenging change.  

The models themselves are a mechanism and process not the end in themselves and should be seen as guides, structures and aides.

Review these decision making models, tools and techniques and learn how to apply them in different situations to support your decision making.