Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath explores the common pitfalls people face when making decisions and provides actionable strategies to overcome them. This book presents a 4-step process called ‘WRAP’ to facilitate better decision-making by recognizing biases, expanding options, attaining objectivity, and preparing for future challenges.
Avoid Narrow Framing
Narrow framing occurs when people focus on only one aspect of a situation.
To avoid this common decision-making pitfall, consider a broader spectrum of choices, seek alternative perspectives, and challenge any assumptions or predefined narratives.
Foster Psychological Safety
Encourage open discussion, constructive criticism, and diverse viewpoints in group settings by fostering psychological safety.
This atmosphere enables team members to embrace vulnerability and promotes comprehensive, effective decision-making.
Embrace the Power of Process
Establishing a systematic decision-making process, like the WRAP framework, safeguards against common biases and facilitates consistent, effective decision-making.
Building habits, sharing methodologies, and iterating on processes can lead to better outcomes.
Learn from Experience
Reflecting on past decisions, analyzing outcomes, and identifying key lessons helps improve future decision-making.
Effective learning requires documenting experiences, soliciting feedback from others, and embracing a growth mindset.
Identify and Challenge Core Beliefs
To strengthen decision-making, tap into the power of ‘productive paranoia’ by actively identifying and challenging deeply-held assumptions.
Testing beliefs cultivates a healthy skepticism and fosters a more accurate perception of reality.
Explore Alternatives
When confronted with binary choices, always look for more options.
Brainstorming, benchmarking, and seeking external opinions can help diversify the alternatives available, ultimately leading to better decision-making.
The 10/10/10 Rule
The 10/10/10 Rule is a technique to gain perspective on a decision’s long-term implications by asking how it will impact you in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years.
This helps to focus on enduring priorities and eliminate impulsive thinking.
Run Small Experiments
Small, low-risk experiments can increase the likelihood of discovering novel solutions and refining existing options.
This strategy accelerates learning, reduces the fear of failure, and drives innovation.
Multitrack Decision-Making
Multitracking is the process of evaluating multiple solutions simultaneously to create a complex, nuanced understanding of a problem.
This approach helps stimulate creativity, reduces the risk of confirmation bias, and allows decision-makers to iteratively improve each option.
Leverage the Power of Distance
To achieve a more objective perspective, create distance from the decision at hand by imagining future consequences, seeking advice from a mentor, or considering how you would counsel a friend facing the same dilemma.
