Why should leaders, workers, teachers and students study decision making?

 

Leadership guides the decision-making process for organizations, sets the stage for how decisions are made,  the plans for execution, and educated decisions are those grounded in both facts and behavioral psychology...Leaders should acknowledge the limitations of the rational model of thinking on both the personal and organizational level and unlock the insights of behavioral economics/psychology. Workers, teachers and students need time and opportunities to explicitly learn about decision making science to reflect on their choices in the workplace, school, or home. Put simply, the adage that we are all 'creatures of habit' is true to an extent, this idiom does not capture one's power to change habits consciously as they are in actuality decisions.

 

Decisions are made continuously, by individuals and groups, and understanding  the architecture of decision making and the psychology of decision making can lead to better decisions.  This is true for students as it is for adults.   Small decisions, or micro-decisions, receive less attention then large decisions, or macro-decisions.  Oftentimes adults and students make decisions automatically, based on heuristics and habit, without unpacking the cognitive shortcuts that dictate their decisions and explore how to change or make 'educated' decisions.  Decision-making science can help us make better decisions.  Better decisions are "Educated Decisions' that demonstrate intentionality, and these new behaviors or decisions can become automatic with training and replace prior decision making routines. 

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It is important to consider important factors that influence our decisions are:

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Cognitive Bias

Emotional State

Rational 

Communication

Timing

Memory Overload

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One or more of these five factors can be explored and examined to provide insights in creating personal or organizational change.

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