Can Waiting Help You Make Better Decisions?
Great article in the financial times with the subtitle: Watching the world’s best tennis players at Wimbledon over the next fortnight can help us make better decisions. Here is what I learnt from …
Decision Making
The Noise Bottleneck: When More Information is Harmful
When consuming information, we strive for more signal and less noise. The problem is a cognitive illusion: we feel like the more information we consume the more signal we receive. While this is …
Changing Minds: It Takes More than Facts
When is the last time someone told you a fact that caused you to change your mind? It’s likely you can’t think of a verifiable example. And yet, when it comes to trying to persuade others, …
Daniel Kahneman and Herbert Simon on Intuition
Why do experts seem to have better intuition than the rest of us when operating within their Circle of Competence? Are they doing something the rest of us are not? Or is there another explanation that …
The Best Books on The Psychology Behind Human Decision Making and Irrationality
**reader suggestions are at the bottom*** This is a great way to build your antilibrary. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely Mentioned by many others. Outstanding experimentally-driven analysis of …
The Decision-Making Flaw in Powerful People
The paper below finds a link between having a sense of power and ignoring the advice of others. The authors argue that power increases confidence, which can lead to an excessive belief in one’s …
Too Many Decisions
The first thing you do in the morning is to make a decision. And those decisions pile up fast. Should I hit snooze? What clothes should I wear? What should I have for breakfast? What combination of …
Problem Solving Tools
When you’re faced with problems, do you have the right tools to handle them? I didn’t use to. My approach consisted mostly of guesswork and dumb luck. It worked sometimes. But I wanted to improve my …
The Art and Science of High-Stakes Decisions
How can anyone make rational decisions in a world where knowledge is limited, time is pressing, and deep thought is often unattainable? Some decisions are more difficult than others. Yet we’re often …
The power of lonely: What we do better without other people around
Spending time alone, if done right, can be good for you. Certain tasks and thought processes are best carried out without anyone else around. One ongoing Harvard study indicates that people form more …
Solution By Recognition
In his autobiography, legendary scientist Herber Simon attempts to explain the difference between experienced decision-makers and novices. What is it that the expert has that the novice lacks? Simon …
Information Without Context
Information without context is falsely empowering and incredibly dangerous. As an adult, have you ever picked up a child’s shape-sorter and tried to put the square item through the round hole? …
Three Questions to Remove Ego from Decision Making
Here are three questions leaders can ask to help make better decisions. 1. How will this decision make things better for the organization? Consider how the decision will affect the …
Bertrand Russell: On Avoiding Foolish Opinions
Want to steer clear of foolishness? Bertrand Russell has some timeless advice that can help. While it won’t make you infallible, his practical tips can go a long way in identifying and avoiding …
Social Dilemmas: When to Defect and When to Cooperate
Social dilemmas arise when an individual receives a higher payoff for defecting than cooperating when everyone else cooperates. When everyone defects they are worse off. That is, each member has a …
Bruce Pandolfini Teaches Thinking, Not Chess
Bruce Pandolfini doesn’t have an MBA but he knows more about strategy than most people. Pandolfini is one of the most sought-after chess teachers in the world. He’s also one of the most …