Calvin seems to have a fair grasp on the decision making. There are too many parameters involved, too many options and too many outcomes. It kinda makes things very hard. There are two terms which management defines- Information overload and information shortage. Both of them play a fair role in decision making.
Calvin here seems to be well versed with information overload. Information shortage is perhaps a better thing to handle cos the decision making is a lot easier. There are not too many parameters but the decision making process becomes way easier, thanks to the less things to think about. Information overload on the other hand identifies the mind as a true nut! It practically spews out multiple options and yet again brings the decision making a standstill. The former makes out the wrong decisions but atleast the decision maker has less headaches. But the latter comes with a scheme- wrong decision plus free headache for the decision maker as a punishment of perusing so many outcomes.
So how does one make a decision. H.Simon coins a beautiful term called logical positivism. When we have a information shortage, we tend to add the fillers like emotions, peer pressure, society, time shortage, etc. This he calls the impediments to decision making. For the overload part, that could be resolved by the information processing, segregating things based on their priority- in other words understanding what the biggest priorities are and acting upon them.
Either case, I agree that decision making is very hard but there is not much of an alternative without taking decisions. So what would be a suggestion in these times? I would say – forget the theory, work on what makes the most sense to you and what answers the ever important question WHY! Perhaps it is a way of keeping the motivation and the decision making skills alive. And why am I ranting about all this? I thought I would add a technicality to the system of decision making as well 😉
muktamanassu 