Smart Choices

CHAPTER 4

Alternatives

ALTERNATIVES ARE THE RAW MATERIAL of decision making. They represent the range of potential choices you’ll have for pursuing your objectives. Because of their central importance, you need to establish and maintain a high standard for generating alternatives. Two important points should be kept in mind at all times. First, you can never choose an alternative you haven’t considered. A terrific house in a great neighborhood may be available for rent, but if you’re unaware of it, you won’t end up there. Second, no matter how many alternatives you have, your chosen alternative can be no better than the best of the lot. Thus the payoff from seeking good, new, creative alternatives can be extremely high.

Don’t Box Yourself ...