<p>Who is the author of Decisive?</p>

<p>Chip and Dan Heath are the authors of Decisive.</p>

Motivation & Inspiration

Decisive Book Summary - Decisive Book explained in key points

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Decisive summary

Name: Decisive
Rating: 4.4 (296 reviews)
Author: Chip and Dan Heath

Chip Dan Heath

How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

4.4 (296 ratings)

22 mins

Brief summary

Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath is a guide to making better decisions. The authors offer four steps to decision-making that emphasize gathering diverse opinions, considering alternate options, and testing assumptions to reach more informed conclusions.

Topics

Decision-Making

Table of Contents

Decisive
Summary of 11 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 11

What is in it for me: making decisions is hard, let’s learn how to do it right.

Making decisions is part of everything we do, and the better our choices, the better our lives, whether deciding between cappuccino or latte macchiato, or between two potential romantic partners.

In Decisive, brothers Chip and Dan Heath explain how in many situations our decision-making isn’t ideal: we think too narrowly; we’re biased by previous choices, personal values and short-term emotions; and we’re overconfident about our decisions.

The book also illustrates how making poor decisions — or not making decisions at all — can have dramatic effects, as can be seen in the example of Kodak, the once-leading manufacturer of photographic film.

Kodak was aware that digital photography would likely usurp analog photography, as early as 1981. However, they remained indecisive about taking action. Eventually, by 2002, once sales of digital cameras surpassed those of analog ones, Kodak had been left behind.

The book answers the questions:

What alternative choices do I have and how can I find them?
How can I avoid making a decision simply based on what I like?
How can I stop my temporary emotions from standing in the way of a wise decision?
How can I be ready for the good and bad results stemming from my choices?

When you get stuck making a decision, don’t artificially limit your choices.

We often think of our decisions as involving a choice between two options. Indeed, we get stuck much of the time trying to settle on whether or not to do a particular thing. But by thinking about decisions as a simple, binary choice, we usually fail to consider other alternatives.

When you find yourself getting stuck like this, consider the whole array of alternative options available to you.

When problem-solving, don’t pursue just one idea; multitrack many options to find the best solution.

We often try to solve a problem by implementing the one option that seems best to us. However, trying out just a couple more can yield much better results.

This is multitracking – or, actively trying out several options simultaneously – and it can improve the decision-making process dramatically.

Look at the solutions someone else has found for the same problem.

Sometimes it feels like we’re the first to face a particular problem.

The fact is, however, that what you see as your problem may have already been solved by someone else. You just don’t notice it because their problem is slightly different.

To shake off any bias in your decisions, play devil’s advocate and try and build a case against your decision.

It seems logical that, when making decisions, we choose those options that we like the most. Unfortunately, however, these aren’t always the best decisions.

But though our preferences might bias our decision-making process, there are actually a couple of ways to shake off the influence that our likes and dislikes have on us.

Think about how your situation looks from the outside.

Although we often believe our situation is unique, it benefits us to look at how others in a similar situation have fared. We’re usually more alike than we tend to believe.

You can do this by finding out how a situation like yours usually unfolds. Consider Jack, for example, a brilliant Thai Cook who is considering starting a restaurant. He’s found what he sees as the perfect location on 4th Street, with huge foot traffic and other Thai restaurants close by. This is his inside view.

Rather than make a plan, run a small experiment to see if your idea works.

In many situations it’s wise to dip your toe in the water, rather than dive in headfirst. This process of testing ideas on a small scale is called ooching.

Deciding upon something based on our belief that it will or won’t work is a bad strategy compared to trying it on a smaller scale.

To get some perspective on your decision, shift your focus to the future

Many of our choices are hijacked by what we believe is important in the moment that we’re faced with them. However, since these are often bad in the long run, here are some techniques for encouraging our brains to consider long-term consequences.

The first is to find emotional distance by imagining the outcomes from a future perspective.

When your decisions are based on conflicting values, identify your core priorities.

Sometimes our decisions aren’t distracted by short-term emotions, but by an unclear order of priorities in our lives. For instance, even after your initial excitement over a job offer has vanished, you may find yourself stuck in the decision of whether to take it or to stay at your old firm.

The solution here is to find your core priorities. Ask yourself: “Which long-term emotional values, goals or aspirations are most important to me?”

To prepare for the consequences of your decisions, think of the future as a range rather than a point.

Often we imagine one possible consequence of our actions and base our decisions on that one specific idea of how the future will unfold – even though we have no way of actually predicting the future!

To counter this foolish tendency, you should, firstly, consider both the worst and best possible outcomes, as this will allow you to estimate where you are at a given point, and react when reality moves closer to the worst outcome. To do this, you can use prospective hindsight – the notion that we can cognitively evaluate facts better than possibilities – to your advantage. Ask yourself, “It is one year from now, and we’ve failed. Why?”, rather than “What could happen that would lead to failure?”

Set a tripwire to shift from autopilot to manual control and enforce a decision.

When we do a certain thing every day we often don’t notice the gradual changes that, over time, can amount to a drastic situation. Hence, we need a figurative “tripwire”: a signal that makes us aware of our behavior, and, if necessary, prompts us to correct it.

One way to do that is to establish clear signals to interrupt any “autopilot behavior.”

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What is Decisive about?

The book identifies the main issues that typically stand in the way of decision making: a narrow view on our problems, short-term emotions, and overconfidence when it comes to predicting the future. It gives knowledgeable insight into how our decisions are formed and how to avoid making bad ones.

Decisive Review

Decisive (2013) is a thought-provoking book that dives deep into the art of making better decisions in life and work. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Packed with practical strategies, it equips readers with the tools to overcome cognitive biases and make more informed choices.
Backed by extensive research and real-life examples, the book provides valuable insights into the decision-making process, making it both informative and relatable.
The authors' engaging storytelling keeps readers captivated, ensuring that even complex concepts are presented in an accessible and engaging manner.

Who should read Decisive?

Anyone interested in the process of decision making
Anyone that has to make reliable decisions everyday
Anyone who is repeatedly revisiting past decisions

About the Author

Brothers Dan Heath (Senior Fellow at Duke University, supporting social entrepreneurs) and Chip Heath (Professor in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University) are the authors of international bestsellers Switch and Made to Stick.

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Motivation & Inspiration

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