In Decisive, brothers Chip and Dan Heath look at why people often make bad decisions—and how we might enhance our process of making decisions in both personal and professional life. They contend that four psychological biases often compromise our decisions and offer a workable solution, the WRAP process, to help offset these biases and guide better decisions.
The Four Villains of Choice-Making Narrow Framing
Many times, we make decisions in binary terms—that is, yes/no—and neglect more general possibilities.
The solution is to widen your choices. Ask not only “Should I do this or not?”Ask, “What else can I do?”
Verification Bias
We look for material to confirm our current opinions.
The answer is to reality-test your presumptions. Search for contradicting proof.
Transient Emotion
Especially under pressure, emotional responses can distort our judgment.
Gain distance first, then make decisions. Dream on it or picture guiding a friend.
Unchecked confidence
We project too much knowledge and the future direction of events.
The answer is to get ready to be wrong. Think through a spectrum of results and create a “pre-mortem.”
Better Decisions Using the WRAP Process
Every letter in WRAP stands for a step towards villainous combat:
W: Broaden Your Choices
Take into account several options.
Apply techniques such as the “vanishing options test” (visualize your present option vanishes—what would you then do?)
R: Reality Test Your Assumptions
Try your ideas in real life rather than compiling supporting data.
To get a better picture, interview unbiased people, run little tests, or apply “zoom-in/zoom-out” techniques.
A: Get Distance Before Making Decisions
Wait for decisions until feelings calm.
Apply the 10/10/10 rule: In ten minutes, ten months, ten years, how will I feel about this choice?
P- Get ready to be mistaken.
See a spectrum of results—what might go wrong?
Make a “tripwire” to let you know should things start southward.
Important lessons
Good judgment is about process rather than natural genius.
Though most people fall into predictable traps, awareness and strategy can help to produce better results.
Adopting WRAP will help us to lower mistakes, boost confidence, and guide decisions we won’t regret later.
In essence, decisive is analytical and practical. From business to relationships, this book is a road map for anyone who wants to get beyond indecision, shed regret, and make more deliberate, informed decisions in all spheres of life.