The failure to consider multiple alternatives; a key flaw to any informed decision process!

How can one evaluate the best way to go forward if we don’t take the opportunity to consider more than one “different” option?

So in saying the above I emphasise the word, different.

If we are considering a particular strategy in the broadest of strokes, then revise it, add a little more to the strategy, then trim off some other elements that we think will not work; this is not coming up with different options, it’s the same option constantly being reshaped. We are literally focusing on a single option.

Now I’m not saying that revising a strategy for a final go-forward solution is wrong; I’m saying that the revising stage should be applied to the final decision once consideration has been made to several different options when possible in an elimination process.

Making light of this “single focus” mindset could be a bit like me saying;

Quote: [ Hey, I have a racehorse that’s not fast enough around the track, so I’m going to cut one of its legs off to make it lighter; thing is I need to consider how high I cut the leg off at].

Epic Fail. I failed to consider other options like more training, better veterinary care, or even racing my racehorse over shorter distances. I stuck with the one single option, a bad one at that, so nothing that I do once that I have committed to this single option is going to make better of a bad decision.

Note to self: It’s a good thing that I’m not into horse racing!

Now back to a more serious side; one additional point to remember, Bias.

When considering multiple alternatives with numerous contributors or for that matter stakeholders be wary of personal bias; people may have a personal bias towards one or more alternatives. Be mindful that an alternative that "the group are unsupportive of" could be due to the fact that they have a personal cost associated with what they are strongly in favour of.

The cost to them may not be so much fiscal, but one born of two fathers; one being personal time already invested and the other being emotional attachment to their work in progress. In saying all of this, one must also be mindful that stakeholders don’t fall into “Group Think Bias”’ a bias that sees stakeholders not wanting to stand out and or go against the majority with difference to popular opinion.

So in closing; consider as many options as possible, the more options that you consider via process of elimination, the better placed you will be for a more informed decision.

Wayne~

NOTE#. No Animals were harmed or mistreated in the drafting of this document. :-)

#management #DecisionMaking