Harvard Business Essentials, Decision Making

Summing Up

• In the absence of alternatives, there is no real decision to be

made. As a decision maker, one of your jobs is to identify a

manageable set of good alternatives.

•Brainstorming is a useful technique for generating alternatives

and problem solutions. But remember that it works only when

people feel comfortable in speaking their minds.

• Don’t overlook hybrid alternatives, which combine the best

features of two or more other alternatives.

•You will have greater success if you enlist people who have di-

verse skills and viewpoints. This will generate creative conflict.

As a manager, your job is to turn this conflict into a productive

direction. ...