Leadership Institute

Rapid Decision Making

Learning Format: Classroom

Order No. IMEX102

In today’s turbulent, fast-flowing business environment, leaders usually don’t have the luxury of time when making decisions. You need leaders who can quickly size up the situation, identify the most workable and expedient course of action, and then act -- often without having all the data or the time to consider every possible option.

This course helps leaders accelerate the decision-making process yet still make quality decisions in fast-paced environments with limited time and information. They also learn how to determine when it is appropriate to use this approach and when to slow down the process and apply a more traditional, analytical approach.

Do You Face Any of These Issues?

  • Do leaders approach every decision in the same way, regardless of the time, risk, and resources involved?
  • Do your leaders struggle to make quality decisions when pressed for time?
  • Do business opportunities slip away because leaders don’t make timely decisions?

Performance Objectives

Helps leaders:

  • Determine when a rapid decision is appropriate and when a more analytical approach is needed.
  • Accelerate the decisions they make.
  • Use a consistent approach when facing rushed decisions in your organization.
  • More quickly evaluate possible solutions and make high-quality decisions when time is limited.

Primary Competency Developed

  • Decision Making

Secondary Competency Developed

  • Risk Taking

Course Overview

  • Whitewater Decision Making: A simulation helps learners experience how rapid decision making differs from “standard” decision making. Learners discuss the connection between the rapid decisions they make on the job and their organizations’ objectives.
  • The “People” Side of Decision Making: A video depicts four people displaying distinct decision-making tendencies. Learners identify their own and others’ decision-making tendencies and think through how to use Decision Tendencies Tips. Another video shows how to balance decision-making tendencies. Learners discuss the role that intuition plays in rapid decision making.
  • About Standard Decision Making: Learners become familiar with the “universal” steps of the standard decision-making process -- what classically must be done in order to make an important decision with high quality. They discuss common pitfalls to applying this standard approach to situations requiring a rapid decision.
  • The RAPID Approach: The facilitator teaches an easy-to-remember approach for situations requiring rapid decision making -- Reduce, Approximate, Pick or park, Interpret intuition and intangibles, and Drive. Learners discuss how to overlay this approach onto the standard decision-making model. Teams of learners then participate in a competitive, board-game activity that cements the concepts.
  • TRY Test for RAPID: Another easy-to-remember technique is presented for determining if a rapid decision is appropriate in a given situation -- consideration of Time, Risk, and whether it’s Your call. After viewing a video case study, learners use the TRY test to determine if it is appropriate to accelerate the required decision. They then participate in a second round of the board-game activity.
  • Putting RAPID to Work for You: The RAPID Decision Guide is presented to help learners focus their decision-making efforts. A final activity has them apply course concepts to real-life situations.

Video Segment Summaries

  • Individuals display different tendencies in approaching a rapid decision opportunity.
  • A decision maker balances his decision-making tendencies.
  • A leader gets an unexpected opportunity to make a rapid decision.

Course Details

  • Target audience: Informal and formal leaders at all levels.
  • Course length: 3 hours, 30 minutes. Course can be lengthened with optional activities.
  • Facilitator certification: DDI-certified facilitator required.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • Series: Suitable for all environments. Practice case studies (with video examples) include office and manufacturing situations.
  • Group size: 8 to 16 people.
  • Prework: No.

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