1. Which approach (or technique) to employ in any given decision making situation?
2. That the results produced by a chosen approach/technique are good enough to add value in real life should they be implemented?

The problem is that in many instances the end user (that is you!) can only judge the value once the results have been implemented.  That is too late, since the implementation will probably have some irreversible impacts and consequences.

The answer is that appropriate decision maker support approaches need to be utilised in each situation. 

Van Thinking has made an in-depth study of the various approaches to support decision makers and ways in which decision making itself can be studied.  Our focus in the online decision making course is that we not only provide you with an overview of the different approaches, but also provide you with a way to know what is appropriate when.  In this way you can have peace of mind to implement results, knowing you have done the best you could to ensure appropriateness of the results to your particular situation (or problem).

Read more about our online decision making course (and watch the free online video)

 A short overview of a few prevalent approaches to support decision makers follow below as examples:

Use Decision Making Techniques:

Various decision making techniques, some participatory processes and others more in line with numerical modelling,  are available to support decision makers.  A good example of this kind of approach can be found at Mind Tools.  There are many different players in this field, and a variety of techniques available that is mind-blowing.  How to utilise them productively can be a nightmare and a very confusing experience.

You can expect to be given an overview of the role of decision making techniques and when it is appropriate to use which ones in the Van Thinking online course on Decision Making.

Understand how Decisions Happen:

The main objective here is to understand how decisions happen, and therefore to be able to pro-actively bring about specific decisions by following the relevant processes and influencing events.  James March is a good example of an expert following this approach.  We use his book as basis for our Free email course on Decision Making Risks where we give attention to some of the embedded risks in the decision making activity and process.

Once again the question remains how to make sense of the variety of decision making approaches he presents, and how to know which one of the various processes of decision making he describes is appropriate at any given time in your situation.  You can expect to be given guidance in our online, interactive course in Decision Making. 

Understand the common pitfalls in Decision Making:

Helga Drummond  is an expert in the study of how profoundly human and flawed decision making can be.  She raises valid cautions and points out common mistakes decision makers make.  Her book, "The Art of Decision Making " is a must-read for any over-confident decision maker.  Our email course on "Organizational Decision Making Introduction" explores this aspect in its section on "Invisible Influences on Decision Making".

The online, interactive Van Thinking  course in Decision Making discusses the very valid points she raises regarding poor decision making and put them in perspective of a wider background, so as to be able to see them for what they are in principle, but also in your everyday decision making endeavour.

Decision making and Problem Solving:

It is a common view that we often make decisions in order to solve specific problems.  This is indeed true for a significant percentae of decision making challenges, but it is not true that all decisions are made to solve problems.  However, being creative in solving problems is intricately woven into the fabrik of good decision making.  A good primer on how to utilise creative and appropriate problem solving in your decision making endeavours is the book "Creative Problem Solving" by Flood and Jackson. 

Utilise Decision Support Systems:

Technology is utilised widely to support decision makers with a variety of their functions, from being an enabler for communication to large (sometimes automated) decision support systems.  Undoubtedly Daniel J. Power is someone that can add much value to the understanding of what is available in this field.

Van Thinking has an in-depth understanding of this field, and our interactive online Decision Making course gives an overview of the uses and pitfalls of decision support systems (widely known as DSS).

Read More about our Online Courses and Resources on Decision Making