Kupe Kupersmith, CBAP

Senior Instructor

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WE GET IT. WE’LL HELP YOU GET IT TOO.

Decision Making:

It IS What We Do

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • It’s all about Decision Making

• The Decision Making Process

• What to do when you’re stuck

Agenda

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I Thought Analysis was Requirements?

Analysis is:

• Elicitation

• Analysis

• Documentation and techniques

• Validation

Decision Making is WHY we do those!It’s the process that moves these activities along.

Facilitating Decisions Adds Value

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decide on a Place to Eat!

You’re traveling to a new city. You’re trying to decide where you want to go to eat witha colleague.

Where will you go?

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decide on a Place to Eat!

How did you decide on that place?✓ Would you ask others for recommendations?✓ What factors did you consider in

making your choice?✓ Would you tell someone your

choice afterwards?

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Projects are Complicated

A whole series of decisions takes place on a project, and each one comes with many options to consider.

Your Project Decisions

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Experience and Identify

the Problem or Need

Clarify Articulation of &

Agree on Problem or

Need

Prioritize Effort(s) Against

Others in Queue

Define the Work Req’d &

Identify Who Can or Will

Do It

Decide it’s Important to

Address

Identify Solution Option(s)

& Choose Action and

Delivery Goal(s)

Parties Agree to Do (& or

Fund) the Work and

Achieve the Goal

Decide Work Effort(s)

Completed or Ready

(Milestones and

Deliverables met)Decide Quality/Outcome

is ‘Ready’ for Delivery or

‘Production’ (transition,

etc)

Get Customer/Consumer

SignOff or Agreement to

Take Delivery Deliver and agree

it’s ‘Done’

Progress the

Work/Effort(s) and

Assess, Adjust & Escalate

as Needed

Modify

Deliv’sEscalate

Issues

A B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decision Making Process

THE CRITERIA

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stakeholder Decision Roles

Decision Awareness

Decision Supporter

Decision Maker (s)

• Participant in the context of the situation or domain that is related to the decision

• Not directly involved or impacted by decision

• Has relevant knowledge about the situation or domain

• Directly impacted by potential options or decisions

• Insightful about options, risks, opportunities or results

• Has relevant knowledge about situation or domain

• Accountable for situation, domain, actions or results

• Is the right person to “make the call”

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Main Components of Decision Making

The Decisions to be Made

The People Involved

Info Needed to Make Decision

Making Decision & Tracking

1

2

3

4

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OH-27B

D

C

iDominance Influence

SteadinessConscientious

S

Communication/Collaboration with DiSC

Fast Paced & Outspoken

Cautious & Reflective

Accepting & Warm

Questioning & Skeptical

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . List types of conflicts or challenges that have or

could cause your project team to get stuck.

Stakeholder Needs Can Conflict

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stakeholder Needs Can Conflict

• Expectations not in alignment

• Process approach

• Prioritization

• Inconsistencies in requirements

• Solution direction

• Root cause unclear

• Role definition or clarity

You need to keep the decision process and the team moving forward. Resolve any conflicts.

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Progress Stuck? Decision Problem!

Know where you are, and what information you need, to be able to take the next (decision) step.

1. Determine what you need to validate the decisions of the last hurdle, or begin to attack the next hurdle.

2. Create an agenda or work plan that will create the information needed to complete the next step.

Are You Here?

…Here?

…Here?

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Identify How to Move Forward

• Where they look stuck: Evaluate the Alternatives

• Where they are stuck: Define and Analyze the Problem

• How to Move forward: Try to bargain about which is best

• Resolve Conflict: Go back, and make sure they have the same understanding of the problem

You are acting as a referee in a discussion between Linda, the designer, and Jim the developer. Jim is presenting his development approach to you and Linda. Linda is trying to convince Jim there is a more efficient way. Jim feels he should make the decision.

Consensus Building, or Buy In?

Results

Accountability

Commitment

Conflict

Trust

The Five Dysfunctions of Teams

Absence of

Fear of

Avoidance of

Inattention to

Lack of

Focus on Outcomes

Confront Difficult issues

Force clarity & Closure

Demand Debate

Be Human

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Four Villains of Decision Making

• Narrow Framing▪ Move away from “this or that”▪ Move towards “this and that”

• Confirmation Bias – Look for opposing view

• Short Term Emotion – Get some distance

• Overconfidence about a positive future

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overconfidence Quote

“It ain’t what you don’t know that will get you in trouble,

It’s what you know for sure that ain’t so.”

-From the movie, The Big Short

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Identify who needs to know the information and communicate

• Share decision content and decision outcome

• Use a Decision Log

Share Decision Information

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decide on “Who Decides?”

Not the RACI, the DRM! (Decision Responsibility Matrix)

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Team’s Decision Making Path

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What did you learn?

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If you remember nothing else…

Decision making is the name of the game!

Requirements are the means to an end:they reflect decisions on “what’s in”?

Focus on facilitating decisions.

Collaborate to identify your team’s unique decision path.

When stuck, figure out where you are in the process.

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