HBR Guide to Making Better Decisions

What You’ll Learn

You’re hiring a vendor, and out of the handful of candidates you’re considering, you’ve narrowed it down to two. One can do the work fast, but at a high price tag. The other is cheaper, but would require a few additional weeks. Speed would certainly impress your boss, but the higher cost would use most of your budget. How do you decide?

You’re faced with a litany of decisions at work every day—from hiring choices to prioritizing projects to making strategic decisions for your company. And even seemingly straightforward choices can be challenging. Unconscious biases, time pressure, and conflicting data can all add complexity to your decision-making processes, and it can be difficult to sort out how to make the right trade-offs ...