Managerial Decision Making Training Course

Participants can define a problem precisely and identify evidence-supported root causes.

• SMART problem statements specify scope, baseline, target, owner and deadline
• 5 Whys traces recurring service failures beyond immediate explanations
• Ishikawa diagrams organise people, process, technology and policy causes
• Pareto analysis prioritises vital few contributors using frequency and cost
• Process maps expose handoffs, rework loops and control failures
• Root-cause hypotheses tested against data, observations and stakeholder evidence

Participants can assess evidence quality and communicate uncertainty in decision recommendations.

• Decision-quality criteria distinguish relevant, reliable, timely and sufficient evidence
• Sampling bias, confirmation bias and survivorship bias tested before conclusions
• Fact, assumption, inference and opinion recorded in an evidence log
• Base rates and reference classes improve estimates under uncertainty
• Confidence intervals and scenario ranges communicate estimation uncertainty clearly
• Data visualisation selects comparisons, distributions and trends without misleading scales

Participants can create and refine a credible range of options before selecting a solution.

• Brainwriting 6-3-5 generates options without early group conformity
• SCAMPER prompts modification, substitution and recombination of existing approaches
• Assumption reversal identifies alternatives hidden by accepted operating rules
• Force-field analysis assesses driving forces, restraining forces and interventions
• Constraints separated from preferences expand feasible solution design
• Option longlists document benefits, costs, risks, dependencies and reversibility

Participants can compare alternatives systematically and justify a selected course of action.

• Weighted decision matrices score options against agreed, evidence-based criteria
• Cost-benefit analysis quantifies financial, operational and stakeholder consequences
• Expected value compares uncertain outcomes using probabilities and payoffs
• Sensitivity analysis tests whether rankings change under plausible assumptions
• Risk matrices rate likelihood, impact, controls and residual exposure
• Pre-mortems reveal foreseeable failure modes before committing resources

Participants can recognise common judgement errors and improve the quality of group decisions.

• Recognise anchoring, availability and sunk-cost biases during option evaluation
• Devil's advocate challenges test dominant proposals and unsupported assumptions
• Six Thinking Hats separates facts, feelings, cautions, benefits and creativity
• Nominal Group Technique produces independent rankings before discussion
• Psychological safety enables dissent, error reporting and candid escalation
• Conflict styles managed through interests, criteria and documented trade-offs

Participants can involve stakeholders appropriately and document decisions for effective governance.

• Stakeholder maps identify influence, interest, decision authority and information needs
• RAPID assigns recommend, agree, perform, input and decide accountabilities
• Consultation plans distinguish informing, consulting, co-deciding and delegating
• Decision logs record rationale, evidence, dissent, owner and review date
• Escalation criteria define thresholds for budget, risk and policy exceptions
• Briefing notes present recommendation, alternatives, evidence and required approval

Participants can translate decisions into accountable implementation plans and control arrangements.

• Implementation charters define outcomes, scope, milestones, owners and measures
• RACI matrices clarify delivery responsibilities after the decision is made
• Critical-path analysis sequences dependencies, deadlines and resource constraints
• Contingency triggers link early warning indicators to predefined responses
• Communication plans tailor messages, channels, timing and feedback routes
• Change-impact assessments identify affected roles, processes, systems and controls

Participants can test decisions against uncertainty, adverse conditions and changing assumptions.

• Scenario planning develops plausible futures from critical uncertainties and drivers
• Decision trees map choices, probabilities, consequences and contingency branches
• Real-options thinking preserves flexibility through staged commitments and exit points
• Red-team reviews challenge assumptions, evidence gaps and unintended consequences
• Stress tests expose performance limits under adverse operational conditions
• Reversible pilots reduce commitment before scaling significant changes

Participants can review decision outcomes, capture lessons and strengthen their personal decision discipline.

• After-action reviews compare intended results, actual outcomes and contributing factors
• Benefits-realisation measures track outcomes, costs, risks and adoption
• Decision audit trails preserve rationale, approvals, evidence and version changes
• Leading indicators trigger corrective action before outcome measures deteriorate
• Lessons learned distinguish transferable practices from context-specific events
• Personal decision improvement plans specify habits, triggers and peer challenge