How should one (not) make decisions? 1
How should one (not) make decisions? 1
Four typical mistakes that we make during our decision-making
Life is full of challenges that demand solutions.
A decision based on the many offered options is only sometimes a solution. In their book, “Decisive,” Chip and Dan Heath list four typical mistakes we make during our decision-making.
Narrow framing
Confirmation bias
What connects all these four mistakes is how we approach different opinions, even against our intuition, even when it causes discomfort.
This post will cover the first 2.
Narrow framing
Narrow framing makes you miss options from the very beginning. It provides quick decisions but non-efficient ones. The danger lies in our efforts to make it work at all costs. If plan A doesn’t work, you already have a well-thought B plan. In the case of many options, the decision-making process is being slowed down, but there is more guarantee for the continuity of the work.
The most frequent question is: Should I do this or that? Meanwhile, our approach can be different; How can I do this or that?
As you may notice, the first question decreases the options while the second expand theirs. Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman in his book “Thinking fast and slow” says that “....most of the time we already have a determined opinion on everything.”
We have intuitive feelings and opinions on everything that comes our way. We have already decided whether we will like or dislike someone. In our minds, we have a database based on our experience that identifies the new with some old information.
If we meet someone from our hometown, a folk artist, or someone who cheers for the same team as we do, we have the predisposition to see them positively. We mainly trust the ones with whom we identify most. We go with a first impression. This is narrowing your view. Even though the first impression matters, I am learning to wait, to search beyond what I can see. Every first thing, presentation, project, or work experience must be seen in a broader context.
A typical example for me is when reading an applicant’s references; or project drafts or when I meet someone for the first time. Although my intuition draws me to a conclusion, my experience tells me I am narrowing my view. The saying “I don’t rely on papers” implies that there is more beyond what I can see on a resume, beyond a first offer, beyond what seems to be the best in the beginning.
There are cases when you have a firm conviction when facing different alternatives. This means you are probably considering excellent options. Someone might even consider it “thinking out of the box.”
In your next decision, avoid the danger of a narrow view. A comprehensive view slows down the process of decision-making, but it provides higher chances of making good choices. It provides you with solutions.
Confirmation bias.
What is your opinion on this?
At first glance, this question to ask your opinion can result in precisely what you are not looking for. We naturally develop ideas about a situation and seek information to support our views. This, in decision-making, is called the “confirmation bias.” In other words, it is distorted confirmation.
In decision-making, if people can collect extra information, they are more likely to select the information that supports their preexisting attitudes, beliefs, and actions.
For example, when we buy a new shirt, we ask if it suits us. But we are not asking whether the sweater fits us rather than trying to make others say they like our choice. It’s the same in our work, family, and friendships when we pretend to want to know the truth while looking for security and acceptance.
We often use logical arguments to confirm our “objectivity.” Psychology explains that even when we love facts and data, the truth is that we are just using them to soothe our feelings. The mind will rationalize everything to provide peace to our senses. Therefore, the saying “I am blunt” or “I speak my mind” may sound purely logical, but the confirmation bias lies hidden deep down.
Because we naturally seek confirming information to support our views, we need to develop the discipline of considering different opinions.
© Agustin Prenga