As Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon and many others have said, decision making is of major importance.

In "The Professional Decision Thinker" (1983), Ben Heirs states:

“The same logic, I believe, applies to our managers and leaders. We can no longer afford to depend upon their natural thinking talents alone.”
This is correct, so here is a well-researched process that decision makers should follow in decision problem thinking.

Decision Makers Should Understand the Stage Principle of Decision Making and Problem Solving

Centuries ago it was recognized that there were basic mental activity stages to problem solving and decision making. These stages are subject neutral. They will, of themselves, solve nothing. They are a guide. These stages also have been called steps, phases, processes, elements, ingredients, set of operations, elementary constituents, and others. It is desirable to standardize on one name, such as stages. Be sure to remember these are well defined mental activity stages.

The Value of a Decision Making Model Stage Method

Without method we are left with chance and aimless wandering. Because there are basic stages to problem solving and decision making, we are able to have a method or model to follow. Over the years, thousands of model formulas have been offered for these mental activity stages. After a thorough review of the literature and selecting features from the best of them, a formula – SM-14 – is now available as a standard. It consists of 11 stages and 3 ingredients. It is complete and practical. It is long enough to cover the major stages and ingredients, but not so long as to be impractical to teach and use.

Decision Making Mind Tool

The stages are the major mind tool used in decision making.

Critical Thinking & Decision Making
The term critical thinking is constantly used. If you research its real meaning, you find it is actually decision making and problem solving thinking.

Political, Foreign Policy, Public Policy, & Government Decision Making
Every day at all levels of government public policy decisions are being made. Because of inadequate teaching of decision making, there are often wrong decisions made. Our leaders, media, and reporters would all benefit from the widespread use of the SM-14 formula.

Management, Business, Organizational, Corporate Financial Executives’ Decision Making
It is self-evident that better problem solving and decision making by managers can greatly improve an organization’s profits and goals. A number of studies have shown that managers do not achieve much over 50% correct results in their decision making and problem solving. This percentage may be low, but regardless of what it is, the use of SM-14 would greatly improve results. Remember that managers are also managers of the decision making of personnel under their supervision. In recent years decision making is being pushed further and further down the ranks of employees. So, if our management leaders improve their decision making knowledge and skills, the benefit would be widespread.