 |
| Choose a Strategy |
Choose a Strategy
Seeking the ‘best choice’ is the most obvious strategy in decision-making situations.
However, other strategies often play a role in decision-making.
Eliminate the worst:
Sometimes it is more important to avoid making a poor choice than it is to make the best choice.
This strategy is often used during the first visit to a new restaurant. When there are many menu selections and you are not sure what you might enjoy most, a common strategy is to narrow the range of choices by eliminating the choices that definitely do not appeal. A vegetarian might first mentally delete all the meat dishes. Someone on a first date might first delete all the dishes with garlic. Someone on a diet might first delete all the dishes with rich creams and sauces.
During World War II, the psychologist J. P. Guildford devised aptitude tests that were used by the US Army Air Force to help in screening candidates for pilot school . After implementing these tests the failure rate in pilot training was reduced by over 60%.
Guilford’s psychological tests were not designed to select the best pilots, but to help identify and eliminate the candidates who were unlikely to become pilots.
Some employers use a similar strategy when hiring and promoting – especially when union rules and/or civil laws make it very difficult to dismiss an employee for incompetence. In such a situation, an employer’s first concern is to ensure that they do not hire an unsuitable candidate. After unsuitable candidates have been eliminated from the process, the employer cannot go too far wrong in hiring any of the remaining applicants.
Pick the lowest bid
In the lowest bid strategy, you create a set of specifications describing what you are looking for and then allow qualified suppliers to submit their offers. Many contracts for public works are awarded this way.
The lowest bid process has two main objectives. First, the process is intended to be open and fair so that all suppliers have an equal opportunity to make their bids.
Second, the process is intended to reduce costs. If a bid is inflated then it probably will not be lowest and thus will not be accepted.
It might be fun to buy a new car using a lowest bid process. You would describe the car that you want and then all the auto dealerships in town would have until the end of the week to submit their bids. All you would have to do is open the envelopes and call the winning dealer to get the car you want at the lowest price in town.
Rank the choices
Another decision-making strategy is to rank all your choices, from highest to lowest, and then select the top ranked choice. In order to rank choices, you have to first establish a set of criteria to rate various aspects of each choice. Then you apply those criteria and construct a final ranking for all your choices.
Suppose that you are trying to decide among ten possible destinations for your next vacation. Using a scale of one-to-five, you could rate cost, accommodation, travel time, local attractions, and safety for each possible destination. Then all you would have to do is add the scores to determine where you are going for your vacation.
Seeking the ‘best choice’ is the most obvious strategy in decision-making situations.
However, other strategies often play a role in decision-making.
Eliminate the worst:
Sometimes it is more important to avoid making a poor choice than it is to make the best choice.
This strategy is often used during the first visit to a new restaurant. When there are many menu selections and you are not sure what you might enjoy most, a common strategy is to narrow the range of choices by eliminating the choices that definitely do not appeal. A vegetarian might first mentally delete all the meat dishes. Someone on a first date might first delete all the dishes with garlic. Someone on a diet might first delete all the dishes with rich creams and sauces.
During World War II, the psychologist J. P. Guildford devised aptitude tests that were used by the US Army Air Force to help in screening candidates for pilot school . After implementing these tests the failure rate in pilot training was reduced by over 60%.
Guilford’s psychological tests were not designed to select the best pilots, but to help identify and eliminate the candidates who were unlikely to become pilots.
Some employers use a similar strategy when hiring and promoting – especially when union rules and/or civil laws make it very difficult to dismiss an employee for incompetence. In such a situation, an employer’s first concern is to ensure that they do not hire an unsuitable candidate. After unsuitable candidates have been eliminated from the process, the employer cannot go too far wrong in hiring any of the remaining applicants.
Pick the lowest bid
In the lowest bid strategy, you create a set of specifications describing what you are looking for and then allow qualified suppliers to submit their offers. Many contracts for public works are awarded this way.
The lowest bid process has two main objectives. First, the process is intended to be open and fair so that all suppliers have an equal opportunity to make their bids.
Second, the process is intended to reduce costs. If a bid is inflated then it probably will not be lowest and thus will not be accepted.
It might be fun to buy a new car using a lowest bid process. You would describe the car that you want and then all the auto dealerships in town would have until the end of the week to submit their bids. All you would have to do is open the envelopes and call the winning dealer to get the car you want at the lowest price in town.
Rank the choices
Another decision-making strategy is to rank all your choices, from highest to lowest, and then select the top ranked choice. In order to rank choices, you have to first establish a set of criteria to rate various aspects of each choice. Then you apply those criteria and construct a final ranking for all your choices.
Suppose that you are trying to decide among ten possible destinations for your next vacation. Using a scale of one-to-five, you could rate cost, accommodation, travel time, local attractions, and safety for each possible destination. Then all you would have to do is add the scores to determine where you are going for your vacation.
