DECISION MAKING

               Last post I talked about how author Henry Thompson provided definitions for two types of decisions we make:  intuitive and rational.  Our mind is still engaged in the decision-making process during an intuitive decision, but it goes through the process much quicker.  Sometimes we have more time to process and get to the best decision.

                The author uses the landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River as an illustration of this model to show that even in a high stress situation rational thought can be involved.  There is a need to engage both the mind and the emotions during the process of a high stress decision making opportunity.  Thompson describes these steps in his book The Stress Effect: Why Smart Leaders Make Dumb Decisions–And What to Do About It:

1. Stimulus – This is something either outside (birds have hit the plane, our sales have dropped) or inside the leader such as a thought about a situation (our team seems not to be functioning in a healthy manner).
2. Perception – This is when you become more aware of the stimulus (“Oh no, birds just hit our plane”) or the leader sees some unhealthy communication among team members and more clearly perceives the problem. This is no longer intuition, but instead it becomes reality.
3. Appraisal – This is the stage that engages both the mind and the emotions. In this stage the leader has to manage the emotions in such a manner that he or she can think logically about how to work through the situation.  For example:  The birds hit the plane and Captain Sullenberger consciously decided he needed to focus on flying the plane and not allow the emotion of fear to take over.
4. Motivation – This provides the energy that leads to action. The plane has lost thrust in both engines and is going down or the team has begun fighting over minor issues and productivity has dropped which has led to the decline in sales.
5. Action – This is what someone does because of the processing of the above steps. Captain Sollenberger states “We’re Gonna Brace” or as the leader of a team you say “we need to get together and discuss these issues immediately.”

Stimulus. Flight. Freeze. Cognitive. Perception. Appraisal. Motivation. Action. Emotional. Fight. Tend & befriend. Adapt. Perception-Appraisal-Motivation-Action (PAMA) Model. Thompson, H.L., 2005.

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                If you have read this far you may be thinking “this theory is all good, but what does it mean for me?”  Thompson found that both cognitive and emotional intelligence determine the success of decisions under stress.  When you are under stress are you able to control your emotions enough to engage the rational side of your brain to assess the situation and choose a logical action as discussed above?  If not, what practices can you implement to manage your emotions better to make effective decisions?  Are you able to use your cognitive intelligence to assess a situation and solve complex problems?  If that is a struggle what ways could you improve that skill in calm situations?

                Stress happens to us all.  I hope this has helped provide some clarity on how to work through complex problems in a simple manner.  If you found this helpful, please share it with others and comment on strategies you implement to make effective decisions under stress.  What helps you stay calm under stress and not allow your emotions to hijack your brain?  Take five minutes to reflect on these questions to help you grow as a leader today.

©2017 Wheeler Coaching Systems, All Rights Reserved

                “Success comes from decisiveness and course correction, not long delays and procrastination to attempt making only flawless choices.”  Maxwell Maltz The New Psycho-Cybernetics.

When I read the above quote I realize how ineffective I am at decision making.  I drive my wife crazy because I look over every option on the menu and want a little of everything.  With that being said I am going to introduce to you concepts from someone much smarter than me on decision making to help you make better decisions especially in high stress situations.

During my Masters coursework I was introduced to Henry Thompson’s book The Stress Effect.  During the beginning of the book he introduces two basic decision making strategies:  rational and intuitive.

Rational – that is what I tend to do at restaurants and with many decisions.  I analyze and try to decide the best option, but quite honestly I get overly concerned about making the perfect decision and constantly second guess myself.  This is a very conscious process.

Intuitive – these are the decisions we make instantaneously, emotionally, and most often in an unconscious manner.  When you are driving the car and avoid an accident or reroute the course of a meeting because of a “gut feeling”, these are examples of intuitive decisions.

The rest of this post will describe a model for making effective intuitive decisions and later I will share Thompson’s model which helps in making rational decisions.  Since we live in an instant world why not start with the faster model.

Recognition-Primed Decision Model – this is an intuitive decision making model developed by Gary Klein.  I will spare you the details of how he created this because you can read it in Thompson’s book if you would like.  The following list describes his steps:

1. Assess the situation – What is going on?
2. Evaluate a course of action – How will I implement this action?
3. Select an option – What option will work?
4. Develop a solution set – Keep it small
5. Generate and evaluate options – Which one will work?
6. Adjust the option – How can I avoid weak areas in this option?
7. Take action – Confidently move forward

Great a theoretical model.  How does that help me as a leader today?  Sometimes conscious awareness will help us access the system in times of need.  All of this happens in moments as we determine and act upon our decision.   As you have quick decisions to make, hopefully these principles will help you to make a workable solution which may not be perfect, but will take you in the right direction.

In moments of great stress, time is of the essence and leaders need to find workable solutions quickly to get the best results possible.  Every decision is not intuitive, but for those that are this model can help provide a way to explain the intuitive decisions that every leader makes.  What strategies do you use to make effective intuitive decisions?  Post a comment below.

©2017 Wheeler Coaching Systems, All Rights Reserved