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CONTENTS OF 48-PAGE BOOKLET:
  •  The Big Picture
  •  Problem Solving and Decision Making
  •  The Decision Making Process
  •  System of Decision Making and Problem Solving
  •  Intuitive Decision Making
  •  Short Formula for Decision Making
  •  Full Model and Formula
  •  Specific Individual “Sciences”


    • STAGES AS APPLIED TO DECISION MAKING:
    1. Curious Observation
    2. Is There a Problem?
    3. Goals and Planning
    4. Search, Explore and Gather the Evidence
    5. Generate Creative & Logical Alternative Solutions
    6. Evaluate the Evidence
    7. Make the Educated Guess (Hypothesis)
    8. Challenge the Hypothesis
    9. Reach a Conclusion
    10. Suspend Judgment
    11. Take Action

    SUPPORTING INGREDIENTS:
    12. Creative, Non-Logical, Logical & Technical Methods
    13. Procedural Principles & Theories
    14. Attributes & Thinking Skills

  •  Group or Team Decision Making
  •  Management Decision Making Technique
  •  Managerial Decision Making
  •  Behavior Decision Making Theory
  •  Accounting for Risks Involved
  •  Decision Making under Uncertainty, Forecasting and Predicting
  •  Miscellaneous Strategies
  •  Opportunities to Use My Non-copyrighted Material
  •  Bibliography
  •  Your Guide and Worksheet
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    A Short Model Formula for Decision Making


    Need for a Short Decision Making Model

    Complex decisions should normally be put through all the stages of SM-14. However, a shorter model is needed for

    • An easily remembered formula you can use at any time.
    • Decisions not complex enough or important enough to spend the time and effort going through the 11 stages of SM-14.
    • The problem decision you are working on is important but urgency is so great there is no time to go through the 11 stages of SM-14.
    • You are in a place or situation in which research facilities are not available.

    Many of the progressive authors of books on decision making offer formulas that range from three stages to eight or more. The trouble is that for widespread teaching of decision making we need a short formula or model suitable as a standard. It should also be an abbreviated version of a complex model such as SM-14.

    Good Short Decision Making Model

    Here is one that I recommend. Commit it to memory and use it often.

    SM-4

    • Problem
    • Alternatives
    • Evaluate
    • Challenge

    Four-Word Short Decision Making Model Brief Description of which Stage of SM-14 is included

    • Problem (Define carefully) #2
    • Alternatives (Search and generate) #5
    • Evaluate (Based on evidence select best) #6
    • Challenge (Check to be sure it is best) #8

    Important to Learn Full Decision Making Model

    Your ability to be successful in using the abbreviated model depends on knowing how to use the full model. So study SM-14.

    Supporting Ingredients for the Decision Making Process

    Remember particularly that you will be using the supporting ingredients of SM-14 in the actions you take in using the short formula so be sure to study them in learning the full SM-14 model, formula, or process.