Includes index.

Introduction: Why decision making is so hard -- Section one. Getting started: The hidden traps in decision making - understand the misperceptions and biases that cloud your judgment / by John S. Hammond, Ralph l. Keeney, and Howard Raiffa -- Who has the D?: how clear decision roles enhance organizational performance - identify first who needs to be involved and in what ways / by Paul Rogers and Marcia W. Blenko -- A checklist for making faster, better decisions - seven steps for making stronger choices consistently / by Erik Larson -- Section two. Generate possible solutions: Idea generation: the basics - encourage open, candid dialogue -- Better brainstorming - ask questions to look at the problem in new ways / by Hal Gregersen -- Brainswarming: a new approach to finding solutions - use both top-down and bottom-up thinking / by Tony McCaffrey -- The four phases of design thinking - question, care, connect, and commit / by Warren Berger -- When solving problems, think about what you could do, not what you should do - you'll come up with more creative options / by Francesca Gino -- Section three. Evaluate your options: To make better choices, look at all your options together - you have a higher chance of making the best decision / by Shankha Basu and Krishna Savani -- The pros and cons of pros-and-cons lists - there are pluses and minuses / by Chris Charyk -- Even swaps: a rational method for making trade-offs - how to compare options when you have apples and oranges / by John S. Hammond, Ralph L. Keeney, and Howard Raiffa -- Making better decisions with less data - be selective about the information you need / by Tanya Menon and Leigh Thompson -- A 6-part tool for ranking and assessing risks - a quantitative approach for strategic choices / by Luke Bencie and Sami Araboghli -- How to tackle your toughest decisions - questions to ask in the gray areas / by Joseph L. Badaracco -- When it's safe to rely on intuition (and when it's not) - consider your expertise level, decision type, and time available / by Connson Chou Locke -- Section four. Make the choice and follow through: Stop worrying about making the right decision - focus on making the choice turn out right / by Ed Batista -- When to stop deliberating and just make the call - know which decisions are worth spending time on / by Thomas H. Davenport -- What to do after you choose - notify the right people - in the right way -- Be transparent about your decision-making process - earn a reputation as a fair manager / by Liane Davey -- Why people challenge your decision and what to do about it - ensure your decisions stick / by Robert M. Galford, Bob Frisch, and Cary Greene -- Stop second-guessing your decisions - how to move on without regret / by Carolyn O'Hara -- Section five. Managing tough situations: When your team always struggles to reach consensus - outline a plan in advance / by Bob Frisch and Cary Greene -- How to choose between bad options - and get people to accept your choice / by David Maxfield -- What to do when you've made a wrong decision - act fast and communicate lessons learned / by Dorie Clark -- Make good decisions, even when you're short on time - whether you have two weeks or twenty minutes / by Nick Tasler.

"Learn how to make better, faster decisions. As a manager you have to make decisions--from daily choices about team priorities to deciding which long-term innovation projects to pursue. But most decisions don't have a clear-cut answer, and assessing the alternatives and the risks involved can be overwhelming. You need a smarter approach to making the best choice possible. The HBR Guide to Making Better Decisions provides practical tips and advice to help you identify the problem, evaluate your alternatives, select the right path forward, and follow through successfully. You'll learn to: look at the problem from different angles; overcome cognitive biases that can skew your choices; use data to inform your thinking; work through uncertainty and analysis paralysis; communicate your choice and spur your team into action; respond to and fix a bad decision"--