Practice thinking clearly. Three rules to help you make better decisions.

I was lucky enough to go to a lecture on Decision Science by Dr Valentina Ferretti fellow at the London School of Economics.

 Until I saw the lecture advertised in The Guardian under their Guardian Masterclass series I have to admit I didn’t realise Decision Science existed as an area of academic study.  But it is and Valentina Ferretti is an expert in it.

 So these are the three rules I picked up:

 1.     Never make decisions when you’re in a bad mood.

2.     Think as broadly as possible when looking for the solution.  Consult a wide range of people and sources of information.   

3.     Don’t judge yourself by how things turn out.  Judge it by the quality of the thinking you put into it.

It’s tempting to make snap decisions, particularly when worn out by ruminating on a problem or feeling under pressure about a decision you have to make.  

 If you can, wait until you’re in a positive mood to think about the decision.  You will be in a better frame of mind to think more creatively and positively.  The best solutions come out of creative thinking about the problem.  Einstein said “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about the solution.”

 Not judging the decision by the outcome isn’t responsibility avoidance.  It is simply acknowledgement that there are things we can’t know and can’t predict because they’re in the future.  These unknowns can have big, completely unforeseeable impacts.

 I’ve tested these rules in theory and in practice.  They stand up every time.

If you read this in time here’s a link to an online workshop run my Dr Ferretti. It’s on line 10am to 4pm (BST) Tuesday 21st September 2021 and organised through Guardian Masterclasses.