Smarter Decision Making

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The Great Mental Models, Volume 1

Author : Shane Parrish
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0593719972
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (937 download)

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Book Synopsis The Great Mental Models, Volume 1 by : Shane Parrish

Download or read book The Great Mental Models, Volume 1 written by Shane Parrish and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2024-10-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the essential thinking tools you’ve been missing with The Great Mental Models series by Shane Parrish, New York Times bestselling author and the mind behind the acclaimed Farnam Street blog and “The Knowledge Project” podcast. This first book in the series is your guide to learning the crucial thinking tools nobody ever taught you. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have credited their success to mental models–representations of how something works that can scale onto other fields. Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. The Great Mental Models: Volume 1, General Thinking Concepts shows you how making a few tiny changes in the way you think can deliver big results. Drawing on examples from history, business, art, and science, this book details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making and productivity. This book will teach you how to: Avoid blind spots when looking at problems. Find non-obvious solutions. Anticipate and achieve desired outcomes. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, … and more. The Great Mental Models series demystifies once elusive concepts and illuminates rich knowledge that traditional education overlooks. This series is the most comprehensive and accessible guide on using mental models to better understand our world, solve problems, and gain an advantage.

Smart Choices

Author : John S. Hammond
Publisher : Harvard Business School Press
ISBN 13 : 9781633691049
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Smart Choices by : John S. Hammond

Download or read book Smart Choices written by John S. Hammond and published by Harvard Business School Press. This book was released on 2015-08 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where should I live? Is it time to get a new job? Which job candidate should I hire? What business strategy should I pursue? We spend the majority of our lives making decisions, both big and small. Yet, even though our success is largely determined by the choices that we make, very few of us are equipped with useful decision-making skills. Because of this, we often approach our choices tentatively, or even fearfully, and avoid giving them the time and thought required to put our best foot forward. In Smart Choices, John Hammond, Ralph Keeney, and Howard Raiffa--experts with over 100 years of experience resolving complex decision problems--offer a proven, straightforward, and flexible roadmap for making better and more impactful decisions, and offer the tools to achieve your goals in every aspect of your life. Their step-by-step, divide-and conquer approach will teach you how to: * Evaluate your plans * Break your potential decision into its key elements * Identify the key drivers that are most relevant to your goals * Apply systematic thinking * Use the right information to make the smartest choice Smart Choices doesn’t tell you what to decide; it tells you how. As you routinely use the process, you’ll become more confident in your ability to make decisions at work and at home. And, more importantly, by applying its time-tested methods, you’ll make better decisions going forward. Be proactive. Don’t wait until a decision is forced on you--or made for you. Seek out decisions that advance your long-term goals, values, and beliefs. Take charge of your life by making Smart Choices a lifetime habit.

Smart Decisions

Author : Thomas N. Martin
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137537000
Total Pages : 185 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (375 download)

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Book Synopsis Smart Decisions by : Thomas N. Martin

Download or read book Smart Decisions written by Thomas N. Martin and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-29 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today's world is complex and getting more so each day. Huge multinational corporations, international crisis and fast breaking events require most people to make decisions on a daily basis without the tools to understand the long term impact that today's decision might create. Because most people have never really been trained in how to make important complex decisions most people rely on experience, and 'gut reaction' which is okay for many decisions, but not okay for decision that will have meaningful impact on organizations and individual. Decision makers need to develop the art and science of strategic decision making. Here, Professor Thomas Martin explains the need for decision makers to modify their thinking about how they deal with acquiring and analyzing information in each of the decision-making process steps. This approach requiring thinking modification will lengthen the process, make it more complex, and to some more arduous, but the comprehensiveness of the new thinking approach should lead to improved and more effective decision making. In this book, Dr. Martin presents a thinking modification framework that asserts that in the decision-making process, there are three situational states — a current state, future state, and a transitional state that one must deliberate in finding a solution. For each of these situational states, Martin develops an identical five-step process to determine the best decision to make. The steps of this process include: • Change-Needing Situational Analysis • Challenge Framing & Causal Analysis • Generating Solution Ideas • Choosing a Solution Set • Implementation and Aftermath Planning This book will appeal to decision makers, leaders, and students of management who want a specific framework that details the process behind making strategic, well-informed decisions.

HBR's 10 Must Reads on Making Smart Decisions (with featured article "Before You Make That Big Decision..." by Daniel Kahneman, Dan Lovallo, and Olivier Sibony)

Download HBR's 10 Must Reads on Making Smart Decisions (with featured article

Author : Harvard Business Review
Publisher : Harvard Business Press
ISBN 13 : 1422191435
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (221 download)

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Book Synopsis HBR's 10 Must Reads on Making Smart Decisions (with featured article "Before You Make That Big Decision..." by Daniel Kahneman, Dan Lovallo, and Olivier Sibony) by : Harvard Business Review

Download or read book HBR's 10 Must Reads on Making Smart Decisions (with featured article "Before You Make That Big Decision..." by Daniel Kahneman, Dan Lovallo, and Olivier Sibony) written by Harvard Business Review and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2013-03-05 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn why bad decisions happen to good managers—and how to make better ones. If you read nothing else on decision making, read these 10 articles. We’ve combed through hundreds of articles in the Harvard Business Review archive and selected the most important ones to help you and your organization make better choices and avoid common traps. Leading experts such as Ram Charan, Michael Mankins, and Thomas Davenport provide the insights and advice you need to: Make bold decisions that challenge the status quo Support your decisions with diverse data Evaluate risks and benefits with equal rigor Check for faulty cause-and-effect reasoning Test your decisions with experiments Foster and address constructive criticism Defeat indecisiveness with clear accountability

Think Smarter

Author : Michael Kallet
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118871251
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (188 download)

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Book Synopsis Think Smarter by : Michael Kallet

Download or read book Think Smarter written by Michael Kallet and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-03-18 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Train your brain for better decisions, problem solving, andinnovation Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solvingand Decision-Making Skills is the comprehensive guide totraining your brain to do more for you. Written by a criticalthinking trainer and coach, the book presents a pragmatic set oftools to apply critical thinking techniques to everyday businessissues. Think Smarter is filled with real world examplesthat demonstrate how the tools work in action, in addition todozens of practice exercises applicable across industries andfunctions, Think Smarter is a versatile resource forindividuals, managers, students, and corporate trainingprograms. Thinking is the foundation of everything you do, but we relylargely on automatic thinking to process information, oftenresulting in misunderstandings and errors. Shifting over tocritical thinking means thinking purposefully using a framework andtoolset, enabling thought processes that lead to better decisions,faster problem solving, and creative innovation. ThinkSmarter provides clear, actionable steps toward improving yourcritical thinking skills, plus exercises that clarify complexconcepts by putting theory into practice. Features include: A comprehensive critical thinking framework Over twenty-five "tools" to help you think more critically Critical thinking implementation for functions andactivities Examples of the real-world use of each tool Learn what questions to ask, how to uncover the real problem tosolve, and mistakes to avoid. Recognize assumptions your can relyon versus those without merit, and train your brain to tick throughyour mental toolbox to arrive at more innovative solutions.Critical thinking is the top skill on the wish list in the businessworld, and sharpening your ability can have profound affectsthroughout all facets of life. Think Smarter: Critical Thinkingto Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills providesa roadmap to more effective and productive thought.

Thinking in Bets

Author : Annie Duke
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0735216371
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking in Bets by : Annie Duke

Download or read book Thinking in Bets written by Annie Duke and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-05-07 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Wall Street Journal bestseller, now in paperback. Poker champion turned decision strategist Annie Duke teaches you how to get comfortable with uncertainty and make better decisions. Even the best decision doesn't yield the best outcome every time. There's always an element of luck that you can't control, and there's always information hidden from view. So the key to long-term success (and avoiding worrying yourself to death) is to think in bets: How sure am I? What are the possible ways things could turn out? What decision has the highest odds of success? Did I land in the unlucky 10% on the strategy that works 90% of the time? Or is my success attributable to dumb luck rather than great decision making? Annie Duke, a former World Series of Poker champion turned consultant, draws on examples from business, sports, politics, and (of course) poker to share tools anyone can use to embrace uncertainty and make better decisions. For most people, it's difficult to say "I'm not sure" in a world that values and, even, rewards the appearance of certainty. But professional poker players are comfortable with the fact that great decisions don't always lead to great outcomes, and bad decisions don't always lead to bad outcomes. By shifting your thinking from a need for certainty to a goal of accurately assessing what you know and what you don't, you'll be less vulnerable to reactive emotions, knee-jerk biases, and destructive habits in your decision making. You'll become more confident, calm, compassionate, and successful in the long run.

Analytics at Work

Author : Thomas H. Davenport
Publisher : Harvard Business Press
ISBN 13 : 1422177696
Total Pages : 231 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (221 download)

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Book Synopsis Analytics at Work by : Thomas H. Davenport

Download or read book Analytics at Work written by Thomas H. Davenport and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a follow-up to the successful Competing on Analytics, authors Tom Davenport, Jeanne Harris, and Robert Morison provide practical frameworks and tools for all companies that want to use analytics as a basis for more effective and more profitable decision making. Regardless of your company's strategy, and whether or not analytics are your company's primary source of competitive differentiation, this book is designed to help you assess your organization's analytical capabilities, provide the tools to build these capabilities, and put analytics to work. The book helps you answer these pressing questions: What assets do I need in place in my organization in order to use analytics to run my business? Once I have these assets, how do I deploy them to get the most from an analytic approach? How do I get an analytic initiative off the ground in the first place, and then how do I sustain analytics in my organization over time? Packed with tools, frameworks, and all new examples, Analytics at Work makes analytics understandable and accessible and teaches you how to make your company more analytical.

The Science of Intelligent Decision Making

Author : Peter Hollins
Publisher : PKCS Media
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 148 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (661 download)

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Book Synopsis The Science of Intelligent Decision Making by : Peter Hollins

Download or read book The Science of Intelligent Decision Making written by Peter Hollins and published by PKCS Media. This book was released on 2019-08-16 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Overwhelmed and paralyzed by your choices? Learn how to get it right the first time - improve your analysis, judgment, and intuition. Unfortunately, you can’t just rely on your gut instinct or “hunch” when you make decisions. There’s a science to improving your critical thinking, weighing pros and cons, and avoiding the traps that take you down the wrong path. Make smart decisions by catching your brain's built-in flaws. The Science of Intelligent Decision Making will teach you to seize control of your life and make sure your decisions aren’t making you. This book cites years of research and scientific studies about what constitutes a great decision and the factors that will inevitably lead you there. It is an in-depth look at human nature and psychology and why we make decisions in the way we do - for better or for worse. This book is packed with theory, but it is all practical and actionable. Use these mental models and pieces of analysis on your decisions TODAY. Think more quickly and more thoroughly – at the same time. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and the human condition for over a dozen years. This book contains tactics pulled from his personal experience, as well as some of the most famous studies in decision theory and social psychology to help you make snap decisions. Beat analysis paralysis and eliminate indecision. •Learn your subconscious motivations, needs, and desires that hijack your brain. •Discover the surprising causes and cures for decision fatigue. •Over 10 of the most dangerous cognitive biases and decision traps. •How to make your pros and cons lists incredibly useful and illuminating. Make smart choices and never have “buyer’s remorse” regrets again. •The 6 Hats Method of intelligent decisions and how you can inhabit different perspectives. •The WRAP method of planning for failure in decisions. •How to think outside the box and creatively solve problems.

The Art of Decision Making

Author : Joseph Bikart
Publisher : Watkins Media Limited
ISBN 13 : 1786782960
Total Pages : 275 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (867 download)

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Book Synopsis The Art of Decision Making by : Joseph Bikart

Download or read book The Art of Decision Making written by Joseph Bikart and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2019-07-09 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing insights from philosophy, psychology, literature, and theology, a longtime executive business coach explores how and why we make the decisions we do What is it that makes some of us better—or worse—than others at committing to a choice? What are the forces that hold us back, and how can we successfully overcome them? Every facet of our lives depends on the decisions we make. Yet, how often do we pause to reflect on our ability to make the best and smartest choices? The key is how we confront and refine the decision-making process. Here, Joseph Bikart explores the intricacies of decision making, challenging us to understand why we make the choices we do. He explores how the true power of decisions, especially the toughest among them, help us to face our fears and may in turn change how we think about ourselves. Breaking his study into four clear parts and short practical essays, Bikart presents a lively and compelling exploration of the process of decision making. He covers: • Indecision, Indecision: What makes us indecisive? What holds us back and why? • Where Art Thou?: How and where we get stuck and the importance of relaxing one's grip. • The Momentum of Decisiveness: Keeping our focus and proactivity. • The Deciding Mind: Making our smartest choices. Drawing from such different fields as philosophy, psychology, neurology, literature, art history and theology, The Art of Decision Making takes us on a journey from the depths of procrastination to the elation of decision making. Presenting a fresh perspective on what to do at the proverbial fork in the road, Bikart's unique philosophy is insightful, thought provoking, and potentially life-changing.

Optimal Living 360

Author : Sanjay Jain
Publisher : Greenleaf Book Group
ISBN 13 : 1608325830
Total Pages : 246 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (83 download)

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Book Synopsis Optimal Living 360 by : Sanjay Jain

Download or read book Optimal Living 360 written by Sanjay Jain and published by Greenleaf Book Group. This book was released on 2014-02-03 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduces Integrative Decision Making, an approach that focuses on the big picture and teaches readers how to make decisions to receive the highest return on investment in life.

John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Smart Decision Making

Author : John Adair
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0857082221
Total Pages : 168 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (57 download)

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Book Synopsis John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Smart Decision Making by : John Adair

Download or read book John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Smart Decision Making written by John Adair and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-12-06 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Adair’s 100 Greatest Ideas for Smart Decision Making is a one-stop of practical advice and tips on problem solving and productive thinking from one of the world’s best-known and most sought after authorities on leadership and management. Inside you will find: 11 Greatest Ideas for Practical Wisdom 8 Greatest Ideas for Problem Solving Strategies 13 Greatest Ideas for How Your Mind Works 8 Greatest Ideas for Clear Thinking 13 Greatest Ideas for Productive Thinking ...and 47 other fantastic ideas, tips and tricks that will give you the confidence, answers, and inspiration you need to succeed.

Smart Economic Decision-Making in a Complex World

Author : Morris Altman
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0128131780
Total Pages : 302 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (281 download)

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Book Synopsis Smart Economic Decision-Making in a Complex World by : Morris Altman

Download or read book Smart Economic Decision-Making in a Complex World written by Morris Altman and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-05-22 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Smart Economic Decision-Making in a Complex World is a fresh and reality-based perspective on decision-making with significant implications for analysis, self-understanding and policy. The book examines the conditions under which smart people generate outcomes that improve their place of work, their household and society. Within this work, the curious reader will find interesting open questions on many fascinating areas of current economic debate, including, the role of realistic assumptions robust model building, understanding how and when non-neoclassical behavior is best practice, why the assumption of smart decision-makers is best to understand and explain our economies and societies, and under what conditions individuals can make the best possible choices for themselves and society at large. Additional sections cover when and how efficiency is achieved, why inefficiencies can persist, when and how consumer welfare is maximized, and what benchmarks should be used to determine efficiency and rationality. Makes the case for ‘smart and rational’ decision-making as a context-dependent rational process that is framed by socio-cultural environment and conditioned by institutional capacities Explains how incorporation of the ‘smart’ decision-maker concept into economic thought improves our understanding of how, why and when people generate certain outcomes Explores how economic efficiency can be achieved, individual preferences realized, and social welfare maximized through the use of ‘smart and rational’ approaches

The Decision Maker's Playbook

Author : Simon Mueller
Publisher : Pearson UK
ISBN 13 : 1292129352
Total Pages : 237 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (921 download)

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Book Synopsis The Decision Maker's Playbook by : Simon Mueller

Download or read book The Decision Maker's Playbook written by Simon Mueller and published by Pearson UK. This book was released on 2019-09-09 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Decision Maker's Playbook is an easy-to-use, “how-to” toolkit to improve managers' decision making, using visualisations, relevant examples and actionable checklists that cater to its main target group: analytically interested, busy managers and entrepreneurs. The Decision Maker's Playbook will help readers navigate a complex world. Along the four chapters of the books, it will help you in: 1. Collective Evidence 2. Connecting the Dots 3. Crafting the Approach 4. Complete the Mission The Decision Maker's Playbook is your personal toolbox to help you make better decisions. It offers practical advice to help you understand, analyse and shape your world. As simplified representations of reality, the models portrayed in this book allow us to see patterns, identify relationships, and view the world from different vantage points. They help us understand and break up complex phenomena into tractable pieces. From Unknown unknowns over Fat Tails to Counterfactuals, this book will make lesser known but highly relevant models available for immediate use – in a visual way, supported by applicable case studies and without jargon.

Handbook of Behavioural Economics and Smart Decision-Making

Author : Morris Altman
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782549595
Total Pages : 616 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (825 download)

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Book Synopsis Handbook of Behavioural Economics and Smart Decision-Making by : Morris Altman

Download or read book Handbook of Behavioural Economics and Smart Decision-Making written by Morris Altman and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2017-05-26 with total page 616 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Handbook is a unique and original contribution of over thirty chapters on behavioural economics, examining and addressing an important stream of research where the starting assumption is that decision-makers are for the most part relatively smart or rational. This particular approach is in contrast to a theme running through much contemporary work where individuals’ behaviour is deemed irrational, biased, and error-prone, often due to how people are hardwired. In the smart people approach, where errors or biases occur and when social dilemmas arise, more often than not, improving the decision-making environment can repair these problems without hijacking or manipulating the preferences of decision-makers. This book covers a wide-range of themes from micro to macro, including various sub-disciplines within economics such as economic psychology, heuristics, fast and slow-thinking, neuroeconomics, experiments, the capabilities approach, institutional economics, methodology, nudging, ethics, and public policy.

Eyes Wide Open

Author : Noreena Hertz
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062268635
Total Pages : 249 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (622 download)

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Book Synopsis Eyes Wide Open by : Noreena Hertz

Download or read book Eyes Wide Open written by Noreena Hertz and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-09-24 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eyes Wide Open: How to Make Smart Decisions in a Confusing World is Noreena Hertz’s practical, cutting-edge guide to help you cut through the data deluge and make smarter and better choices, based on her highly popular TED talk. In this eye-opening handbook, the internationally noted speaker, economics expert, and bestselling author of IOU: The Debt Threat and Silent Takeover reveals the extent to which the biggest decisions in our lives are often made on the basis of flawed information, weak assumptions, corrupted data, insufficient scrutiny of others, and a lack of self-knowledge. To avert such disasters, Hertz persuasively argues, we need to become empowered decision-makers, capable of making high-stakes choices and holding accountable those who advise us. In Eyes Wide Open, she weaves together scientific research with real-world examples from Hollywood to Harry Potter, NASA to World War Two spies, to construct a path to more astute and empowered decision-making in ten clear steps. With a razor-sharp intellect and an instinct for popular storytelling, she offers counter-intuitive, actionable guidance for making better choices—whether you are a business-person, a professional, a patient, or a parent.

Give Yourself a Nudge

Author : Ralph L. Keeney
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1108803989
Total Pages : 279 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (88 download)

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Book Synopsis Give Yourself a Nudge by : Ralph L. Keeney

Download or read book Give Yourself a Nudge written by Ralph L. Keeney and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-04-23 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The best way to improve your quality of life is through the decisions you make. This book teaches several fundamental decision-making skills, provides numerous applications and examples, and ultimately nudges you toward smarter decisions. These nudges frame more desirable decisions for you to face by identifying the objectives for your decisions and generating superior alternatives to those initially considered. All of the nudges are based on psychology and behavioral economics research and are accessible to all readers. The new concept of a decision opportunity is introduced, which involves creating a decision that you desire to face. Solving a decision opportunity improves your life, whereas resolving a decision problem only restores the quality of your life to that before the decision problem occurred. We all can improve our decision-making and reap the better quality of life that results. This book shows you how.

Drinking from the Fire Hose

Author : Christopher J Frank
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101543760
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (15 download)

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Book Synopsis Drinking from the Fire Hose by : Christopher J Frank

Download or read book Drinking from the Fire Hose written by Christopher J Frank and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-09-01 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You're sitting in a windowless conference room. Twenty minutes into the meeting the presenter finally makes it to slide four of a thirty two- slide deck. At least you can read this one, unlike the others, which were crammed with numbers, graphs and charts. You look around, wondering if anyone else is following the presentation. Just about everyone these days suffers from information overload the 24/7 explosion from our computers, smartphones, media, colleagues, and customers. Information is essential to making intelligent decisions, but more often than not, it simply overwhelms us. It's like trying to drink from a fire hose. The question isn't how to stop all those e-mails, meetings, conference calls, and fat reports; that's impossible. The question is what to do with them. How do you find the truly essential nuggets of information and use them with confidence? The solution proposed by Christopher Frank and Paul Magnone sounds deceptively simple: Learn how to ask the right questions at the right time. Whatever field you're in, asking smarter questions will expose you to new information, point you to connections between seemingly unrelated facts, and open new avenues of discussion with your colleagues. The authors explain the seven questions that can help you bring a big- picture perspective to problems that often leave others buried in irrelevant details. And they show through real-life case studies- including Trader Joe's, Starbucks, Kodak, Microsoft, iRobot, and IBM-how their method can have a dramatic impact. It really is possible to convert the fire hose of information into useful insights. Consider a nonbusiness example: the 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption that sent a giant ash cloud toward Europe. Tens of thousands of flights were canceled and five million passengers stranded, leading to billions in economic losses. Europe's best scientists generated oceans of data and carefully modeled the cloud's dispersion pattern. But no one could answer the essential question: Was the concentration of volcanic ash in the air enough to damage a jet engine? Without that key answer, all the carefully gathered facts were useless to the decision makers. Once you adopt the seven questions, you'll start having more productive brainstorming sessions. You'll answer critical questions faster and find unexpected solutions to important problems. And you'll get better at communicating to your colleagues with more clarity and focus, turning down the fire hose that other people have to cope with.