Question

What are some of the common decision-making errors that teams and groups encounter?

Answer 1

a) Being too dependent on Expert information

Some people rely too much on the experts when in fact not all of them are truly experts. If ever they are, they are still prone to mistakes and can even have their own set of biases. Instead of getting information from just one source, try widening the search and sources.

b) Overconfidence

If you feel very confident of the decision you are about to make, try to humble the overconfident attitude and still remain open to possible options or other information.

c) Understanding the information taken from others
Devaluing information that other people feed you is also a big mistake. A little respect for receiving unsolicited and volunteered information or suggestions is healthy in the decision making process.

d) Filtering data or information
When filtering information, you only choose those that are in your favor, which makes you biased on a certain decision. If this is the case, you might be missing out on other details that can be helpful in the process. Be mindful of your personal expectations and prejudices and be open to ideas.

e) Falling to acknowledge your intuitions

You hear people say “I should have followed my instincts.” This is a very common mistake in decisions. Regrets come late because the initial “gut feeling” was not recognized. At times, the subconscious mind would feed a signal or a message that things are not right. It sends clues through gut instincts, so try to recognize those intuitions and accompany it with added information or research.

Other Decision Making Mistakes

In addition to the above mentioned pitfalls, here are more traps in decision making that would lead you to making the wrong decision.

• Indecision
• Reluctance to change
• Too many alternatives and options
• Failure to identify the real problem
• Failure to recognize the problem
• Dealing with emotional biases
• Dwelling in uncertainty
• Avoiding decision
• Failure to analyze the situation
• Fear of regret
• Fear of commitment
• Decision delays
• Repetitive decisions
• Irrelevant decisions
• Lack of evaluation
• Failure to project decision outcomes
• Lack of follow-up

I hope this would be helpful...