Choices. We have so many choices. But what is the best choice? How can we make sure we are doing the right thing? Can we ensure that we are choosing the right way and the best course of action?
One of the biggest challenges of decision-making is generating, assessing, and then choosing from among the different solutions there are to any given challenge. This is why for most decisions we use heuristics – simple rules of thumb – to avoid the extra brain power needed to make decisions. In neurological terms, we save load on the pre-frontal cortex by using automatic routines saved and accessed through the limbic system.
But we can’t always do that. Often, we are faced with a new or more important decision where we cannot entirely rely on previous experience. That might be buying a car or property, changing jobs, or just working out what to do in our free time, but if the choice has a large impact on time and money then we are likely to spend longer considering our options. Working out the best course of action (or “COA” in military parlance) is therefore a critical element of effective decision-making.
Asking the right questions to improve your decision
This stage of the decision-making cycle is all about considering options. By this point, we should have already established why we want to do something, what exactly we want to achieve and where we want to end up. Considering courses of action is about choice, we use the interrogative “which” within The Right Questions Framework. In other words, we are answering the questions:
Which options (courses of action) are available to me?
Which risks and opportunities will impact my decision?
Which is the best course of action?
This phase can be further broken down into several steps. To help make the best choice we want to:
Brainstorm multiple options
Refine several courses of action
Assess the courses of action
Identify obstacles and risks
Decide the preferred option
This can be remembered with the acronym BRAID.
Having made the decision, we then move on to the next phase of decision-making where we develop the plan (and answer the how, who and when questions). But for now, let’s examine the four steps outlined above.
Brainstorming your options: questions that will help you
When facing an important decision, it is generally a good idea to brainstorm multiple ideas before narrowing down the options. This is an important phase as it can unearth new ways of approaching a problem and can free us from certain assumptions. If we restrict ourselves at this stage to what we think is just sensible, affordable, or realistic then we might miss out on important opportunities or insights.
For example, when I am coaching people, I often get them to answer a set of questions that explore multiple ways of looking at an issue. These might include:
What do you think you should do?
What is the logical thing to do?
What would someone you respect do?
What do you dream of doing?
What would you do if resources were not a problem?
What would make you happy?
What would make you sad?
What would you do if you could turn back the clock?
Brainstorming with a team
When I go through this process I prefer to do some thinking on my own first. I would recommend that any team starts by working as individuals first, even if for just a few minutes. This means everyone is fully engaged with the process and you avoid group-think. The team then benefits from two different levels of creativity; the personal and the team dynamic. If you start with the whole group it is likely that some of the individual ideas will be lost.
Once you have drawn some initial observations on your own you can address the challenge again in a team environment. Other people will always bring an alternative view of a problem. So, I would recommend involving at least one other person in the thinking. Even if they just act as a sounding board of your ideas it will bring diversity to your thinking.
Lateral thought and forced association technique
You can also use lateral thinking techniques to generate ideas. One of the simplest lateral thinking techniques, and one I use when I am stuck for ideas, is the Forced Association technique. This method involves getting a set of random words or pictures and then linking them to the problem. This psychological hack forces our brain to create new neural pathways, linking otherwise associated packets of information in our neocortex. These new mental maps literally expand our minds to think of the problem in new ways and explore new solutions. If you want some help getting the random data then you can use free websites such as randomwordgenerator.com or randomwordgenerator.com.
For example, I am trying to think of what I want to do in my summer holidays. I used randomwordgenerator.com to give me a random word and it gave me ‘morning’. By thinking of the word ‘morning’ along with the idea of ‘vacation’ my brain starts to prompt questions such as:
What do I like to do in the morning?
Where would I like to wake up in the morning?
What would the perfect morning look like?
I am also flooded with pictures and memories; the sun coming up over a mountain as my feet crunch through frost-crusted snow, the smell of great coffee in an Italian café, the snuggly feeling of waking up in fresh hotel linen (knowing that I don’t have an alarm forcing me to get up). Suddenly I am full of ideas of things I want to do! And that is just one word and a few seconds of thinking.
I recommend having a play with the technique, even now for something you must do today. And if you are interested in exploring more techniques, then I recommend reading Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono.
“Sometimes the situation is only a problem because it is looked at in a certain way. Looked at in another way, the right course of action may be so obvious that the problem no longer exists.”
Edward de Bono
Generating courses of action
Once you have brainstormed a long list of potential options, the next step is to refine this list down to a few preferred courses of action. Using the heuristic of The Rule of 3 I generally recommend three courses of action which can be developed in outline and inform a decision.
You could prioritise your list from the options using your intuition and what feels like the best option.
For example your intuitive options might be:
What is the most exciting option?
What is the most sensible option?
Which is the scariest option?
Alternatively, you might want to apply some rationale to the selection of your courses of action. One simple way to come up with three courses of action is to look at resources. You might ask:
What is the option if money is no object?
What is the option if time is no problem?
What is the option if people and skills are no problem?
Example of 3 Generic Courses of Action for projects and tasks:
When making a business or project plan then there are some other questions we can consider to create courses of action. For example:
Which course of action best fits what is most likely to happen?
Which course of action represents the worst possible situation?
Which course of action allows for the swiftest outcome?
Answering these questions allows three courses of action and outline plans that reflect
The logical plan (most likely)
The contingency plan (worst case)
The fastest effect plan (which is often the riskiest or costliest)
These questions work well when dealing with a critical (time-dependent) issue, so if these questions don’t suit (for example if money rather than time was the most important factor) then you could also ask:
Which is the most elegant (gold-pated) option?
Which is the simplest (silver) option?
Which is the cheapest (bronze) option?
Once three courses of action have been selected then the next step is to explore a simple outline plan for each. To do this we answer the questions:
How will we achieve the goal (what are the necessary milestones, tasks, or steps)?
How will this course of action be resourced?
When could or should each step be achieved?
Who can help or support each activity?
At this stage, we are not doing detailed planning so the answers to each of these can be simplified.
It is worth noting that this technique tends to favour business plans rather than personal plans. If you would like another way to prioritise your courses of action, I would recommend seeing which ones align most with your values (be that your personal values or organisational values). Using principles also helps us assess our three courses of action so we will explore that in the next section.
Assessing the courses of action using values and principles
Once we have three courses of action (with outlined plans to check their feasibility) the next stage is to assess them against each other and come up with the chosen course. As previously, you can just use your intuition to make the choice, but you may also want to apply some further logic. If you do have an initial gut feeling about which one you like, then make a note of it. Our intuition is based on our experience and preferences – so it is certainly worth considering – but it is also subject to our biases so it is worth noting to avoid subconscious bias subverting our decision-making.
My preferred way of assessing courses of action is by scoring them against a set of principles or values. To start, I will generally create a matrix, listing the courses of action on one axis and then the principle on the other. I then fill in the grid, scoring each course of action against each value out of 10. I then create a total score for each per the example below.
Principle 1
Principle 2
Principle 3
Total Score
Course of action 1
(Score 0-10)
Course of action 2
Course of action 3
Assessing Courses of Action against principles
There is no limit to the number of principles you want to employ but for simplicity, I would not recommend any more than 7-8.
The principles you choose are dependent upon the decision. You might want to use your personal values if it is a choice that most impacts you, such as a change of career. If you are making a business decision then you may want to use your organisation’s corporate values. Equally, there may be a set of specific principles you want to apply. For example, in an investment decision, you might want to employ principles from an expert such as Warren Buffet. It is worth taking a little time to make sure you have the most appropriate precepts to score your courses of action against.
Assessing courses of action with opportunity and risks
An alternative or subsequent way to assess the course of action is considering opportunity versus risk. It might be that risk was considered as one of your principles but if not then it is worth thinking about now. Identifying and assessing risk is a subject in itself but for each course of action, it should be relatively easy to identify the top 3-5 most significant risks.
These risks should then be weighed against the overall opportunity. As with risk, it might be that your chosen principles best summarise the opportunity of a given course of action. If not then consider the potential pay-off, in time, money or quality, for each course of action. Then you can weigh the risk versus the reward. For example, sometimes it is riskier to move quickly on a decision but the payoff – in terms of cumulative gain, time saved or first mover advantage – might be a risk worth taking. This is effectively a simple cost-benefit analysis of your courses of action.
Making the right choice (and better future decisions)
Finally, having assessed the courses of action you can make your choice. Depending upon which course of action scored the highest or had the best balance of risk versus opportunity, you can now commit to that option.
Having made the decision, you can then go on to more detailed planning. You will likely find that your new plans will also incorporate lessons from the other options you looked at. For example, you might well keep the worst-case or contingency plan up your sleeve just in case something goes wrong. Equally, you might have a plan that has stages that incorporate further decision points, dependent upon the balance of risk and reward. As the plans develop, you will discover that the thinking at this stage is not wasted.
Going through this process of creating and assessing courses of action has a further benefit. The formal process forces us to think deeper which will reinforce any learning points for the next decision. Recording the process, and the final choice, also allows us to go back and measure how effective our decisions were. We will not always get things right, but this reflective process will help improve overall decision-making. Decision-making is a skill like any other and for effective learning, we need to be able to reflect on what we have done.
Picking the best course of action
So, if you have options and want to make the best-informed decision follow these BRAID steps:
Brainstorm multiple options (be creative)
Refine courses of action (down to 3 ideally)
Assess the courses of action (against principles or values)
Identify obstacles (and mitigate the risks)
Decide upon the best course of action (make the choice)
And one final tip, think about when you want or need to make the decision. It is easy to prevaricate, put off a decision, or miss an opportunity entirely. Setting a deadline and creating a timeline for your decision-making helps to avoid these outcomes. Depending upon the impact of the decision you might want to spend 5 minutes or 5 hours thinking through your choice, but as productivity experts will tell you, the best starting point is assigning time to make the decision, as that is a task in itself.
So, what decision do you need to make and when? If you can’t make the choice now, then take a few seconds to schedule time in your diary. And if you want some further advice on the steps to take then check out A Blueprint for Better Decision-Making.
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”
Sun Tzu
If you want the right answers you have to start with the right questions
About The Right Questions
The Right Questions is for people who want greater clarity, purpose and success. There is a wealth of resources to boost your effectiveness in achieving goals, your leadership of yourself and others, and your decision-making.
Wherever you are on your journey, I hope that you find information on this site to help you on the next leg of your quest. Even if that is just the inspiration to take one small step in the right direction, then that is a success. If you can take pleasure in learning and travelling as you go, then so much the better.
I love to serve people, helping them unlock their potential, empowering them as leaders, and assisting them in achieving their goals. Please get in touch and let me know how I can support you!
What is Mind Mapping and why should I use Mind Maps?
I am hoping to address three main questions in this post: What is a Mind Map? Why should I use Mind Maps? And why are Mind Maps so effective? In the next post, I will then cover how to create a Mind Map and look at some of the best software options for Mind Mapping.
What is a Mind Map?
Mind Maps are a form of non-linear notes developed by Tony Buzan. The term ‘Mind Map’ is actually a trademark of his company. While conducting a study, Buzan realised that whether it was a genius like Leonardo de Vinci or a college student who was achieving high grades, many successful people did not take linear notes. Rather they had free-flowing scribbling’s full of illustrations, keywords and connections. Combining this discovery with his knowledge of psychology and memory systems, Buzan was able to develop a system of non-linear note-taking. He developed a system that anyone could learn: the Mind Map. Although not strictly the same thing, some people refer to Mind Maps as Concept Maps, Spray Diagrams or Spider Diagrams.
Why should I use Mind Maps?
I first came across Mind Maps when I was preparing to do an intensive course where I knew I would have to learn a lot of information very quickly. In Tony Buzan’s book, ‘Use Your Head’ I came across the chapter on Mind Maps, and this intrigued me enough to get his book on Mind Mapping.
Having devoured the book I took to the system very quickly. I have always been someone who has doodled all over my work and now I had found something that embraced and encouraged it; I was a convert! Mind Mapping was engaging and fun, and I was so enthusiastic that I immediately taught one of my friends how to create Mind Maps too. We both put our new Mind Mapping skills into practice on the course and promptly came first and second in the class for the theory exam. I was now doubly sold on the system.
Since adopting their use I have used Mind Maps for planning essays, taking notes in lectures, for brainstorming ideas, for visual facilitation in workshops, and more besides.
Why are Mind Maps so effective?
There are some basic principles behind Map Maps that make them such powerful tools. Using images as well as words is seen as engaging both your creative and logical attributes. This is seen as engaging both left and right brain activity and pictures are particularly good at representing whole concepts. As the famous phrase goes: a picture paints a thousand words. Pictures are also better for recall and memory. The use of colour, codes, symbols, highlighting – and anything else you need to bring your notes to life – is encouraged. Arrows and lines are also used to show relationships. In this way, you can create connections between various concepts. You can also group related ideas together.
The discipline of keeping the notes to one page means that the finished product is an efficient summary of a subject. Equally, having to summarise each section of a Mind Map in a single word or picture forces you to actively engage your mind. This is in contrast to just scribbling things down by rote. This avoids the problem highlighted in this quote:
“Lecture: a process where the notes of the professor become the notes of the student, without passing through the minds of either.”
Mindmapping Software
That’s it for now. I will cover how to create a Mind Map in the next post and also cover some of the best software options.
If you want the right answers you have to start with the right questions
About The Right Questions
The Right Questions is for people who want greater clarity, purpose and success. There is a wealth of resources to boost your effectiveness in achieving goals, your leadership of yourself and others, and your decision-making.
Wherever you are on your journey, I hope that you find information on this site to help you on the next leg of your quest. Even if that is just the inspiration to take one small step in the right direction, then that is a success. If you can take pleasure in learning and travelling as you go, then so much the better.
I love to serve people, helping them unlock their potential, empowering them as leaders, and assisting them in achieving their goals. Please get in touch and let me know how I can support you!
How do I create a Mind Map and what is the best Mind Mapping software?
In the last post, I wrote about what Mind Mapping is and why it is so effective. In this post, I will cover how to create a Mind Map and discuss some of the best Mind Mapping software that is available. This will help if you want to make Mind Maps on a computer or another device.
How do I create a Mind Map?
It is very simple. Start with a blank piece of paper in landscape (rather than portrait) orientation. Draw an image in the centre that sums up the subject of the whole mind map. Now create lines that branch out from the central image for your main subheadings. Use one word or image per branch and keep the length of the branch to the size of the word or picture. Use larger sized letter, lines and images towards the centre of the Mind Map and let them become smaller as they fan out.
I have created a Mind Map and turned it into a video presentation (on iMindMap) that sums up the basic principles and techniques of Mind Mapping. This will give you an idea of how a subject (such as the content of this post) can be summed up successfully with Mind Mapping.
You can access the video via The Right Questions YouTube channel or watch the embedded film below.
What is the best Mind Mapping Software?
I started off just drawing Mind Maps freehand but I now also use software too. I love the absolute freedom of freehand Mind Mapping. But now – more often than not – I have my computer on me rather than a notepad. Software options are also good for sharing Mind Maps. Hand-drawn Mind Maps can be harder to read and there is never a copier or scanner to hand when you need one. With software-based Mind Maps, it is very easy to save, reproduce and share Mind Maps that are legible and look professional.
iMindMap
Some Mind Mapping software, such as iMindMap (now replaced by Ayoa) also have cloud-based backup and collaboration tools available on their premier products. This is a very useful addition when using Mind Maps in a business context. I have found iMindMap very easy to use; within ten minutes of downloading it, I had produced my first Mind Map. There is an example below showing a Mind Map that I created about The RightQuestions.
VideoScribe
I now make my videos using Videoscribe. As you can see from my YouTube channel (The Right Questions), I incorporate many of the principles of mind mapping in how I create these videos. The software is easy to use and I enjoy creating content with it.
If you want the right answers you have to start with the right questions
About The Right Questions
The Right Questions is for people who want greater clarity, purpose and success. There is a wealth of resources to boost your effectiveness in achieving goals, your leadership of yourself and others, and your decision-making.
Wherever you are on your journey, I hope that you find information on this site to help you on the next leg of your quest. Even if that is just the inspiration to take one small step in the right direction, then that is a success. If you can take pleasure in learning and travelling as you go, then so much the better.
I love to serve people, helping them unlock their potential, empowering them as leaders, and assisting them in achieving their goals. Please get in touch and let me know how I can support you!