Making the Decision

Often, however, you need to make complex decisions quickly, with only partial information.

In a perfect world, you would have all of the information you need and an unlimited amount of time to make a decision. Your choices would be clear, and company politics would not influence your decision. Often, however, you need to make complex decisions quickly, with only partial information. The techniques for evaluating the alternatives outlined in the previous section should help you compare the pros and cons of each choice but what if your group is still having difficulty arriving at a final decision—and the clock is ticking? The following suggestions can help:

Moving toward closure by using Point-counterpoint. Divide your team into two groups of equal size: group A and group B. Wherever possible, spread supporters of opposing ideas between the groups. Ask group A to develop a proposal for a solution that includes their recommendations and key assumptions. Then have them present their proposal to group B. Then ask group B to identify one or more alternative plans of action and present those plans to group A. have both groups debate the different proposals until they all agree on a set of recommendations.

For example a finance department has been engaged in a heated debate over which accounting firm to use to audit the books this year. One group favors, a big-name brand, while the other favors a smaller yet well-respected firm. Using the point-counterpoint technique, the decision-making team considers each firm and reaches a conclusion.

ACTION POINT: Consider the point-counterpoint technique when faced with a stalled decision.