Making decisions unburdened by ‘risk management’ myths

Grant Purdy and Roger Estall

During long careers we have often been engaged to investigate decisions that have gone spectacularly wrong or resulted in other than the intended outcomes. This has helped us develop an objective appreciation of what ‘good’ decision-making looks like and therefore, what characterizes a ‘good’ decision.

This workshop will describe the universal method of decision-making - which is what all decision makers actually use - and explain how the combination of understanding and awareness of that method, and mastery of its elements, is what differentiates between successful and unsuccessful decision-makers.

There will be, therefore, focus on clarity of Purpose because it is in the pursuit of purpose that all decisions are made, and we will explain – with reference to assumptions and subsequent changes in the context in which decisions are made - how the outcomes of decisions can differ from those intended or desired.

While a fundamental part of making decisions requires understanding and dealing with uncertainty, as we explained in RAW last year, attempting to take account of and resolve uncertainty via the concept of ‘risk’ the and constructs of ‘risk management’ is neither an effective nor a logical path to adopt.

Hence, we will explain again this year how, by drawing attention away from the universal method of decision-making, the distraction of ‘risk management’ often leads to poor decisions. On the other hand, we will show how awareness and skillful application of the universal method of decision-making enables Deciders to achieve sufficient certainty that their decision will contribute to purpose and deliver the intended (rather than unintended) outcomes.