Motivating and Influencing factors Thinking and Analyzing Adapting and Changing Bias and Preference Opinions and Support Five Dimensions of Decision Making

Decisions, decisions, decisions — we make them all the time! The life we are living right now, is the outcome of decisions we made in the past. Our future depends on the decisions that we will make today or tomorrow. To put it simply, decision making can be defined as a choice of action in an uncertain environment. Decision Making

Motivating and Influencing Factors Certain sounds, colour schemes, imagery and smells make us feel comfortable; we tend to lower our guard, are more willing to listen and are more agreeable. There are internal factors that depend on our personality traits such as being an extrovert or introvert, risk takers or a hyper vigilant person. Many retailers understand this all too well and design spaces accordingly

In his famous book ‘Blink’, Malcolm Gladwell argues that great decision makers aren’t those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating Many believe in thinking and analyzing as the best way of decision making. Edward DeBono says: “Conclusion is the place where you get tired of thinking.” Thinking and Analyzing Do you blink or analyze the situation to death

Adapting and Changing Do you feel the grass is always greener on the other side or do you have a philosophy of ‘it is greener where you water it’? Are you known for flip-flopping or being stubborn, or do you fall somewhere in the middle? In certain cases cutting your losses and moving on may be the best choice.

Bias and Preference Based on our life experiences and value system, knowingly or unknowingly we may be making or favoring certain choices. There is a tendency to selectively collect information and data supporting our initial biased hypothesis. No one is free of biases; however, if we are aware of this, we can consciously guard against them.

Opinions and Support Decision making also often ranges from making your own choices to consulting experts and/or trusted people. Some people tend to be more independent and others prefer to get as many opinions as they can to help them in making the final choice. Make a decision that is finally yours, even if others helped you in making it

Conclusion The most important aspect is that we need to understand our style and if we are not happy with the outcome of our decisions, adjust it for the better. However, changing our decision making style on any of the dimensions, will need the same or more effort as changing any other deep-rooted habit. Where exactly we find ourselves on these dimensions depends on our style as well as existing circumstances, such as our level of stress, and recent experiences