A632.3.4.RB_DellElceCamila

A632.3.4.RB – Reflections on Decision Making

            Stephen J. Hoch and Howard C. Kunreuther (2005) defined frame blindness as the, “limited awareness of the simplified core underlying our mental model of the outside world” (p.1528). In other words, in many instances, leaders or managers suffer from this so called “frame blindness,” which makes them see situations in a narrowing outlook. It is imperative for those who are leading others to understand their surroundings, and most importantly, to accommodate their vision accordingly to the challenges they are facing. Moreover, people who suffer from frame blindness tend to stick to old-fashioned manners that do not help a company and even worse, they do not seek other’s involvement and make decisions based on their own facts.

            There are many ways to avoid frame traps. As a general advice, “be on guard about the false sense of completeness that any frame will offer. Try to see the gaps and limitations of the frame as well as why it fits,” (Hoch & Kunreuther, 2005, p. 1535) is one of them. Additionally, there are three ways to avoid frame trapping:

      1.   See the frame by conducting a frame audit: surface your frames, understand the frames of others and appreciate emerging frames.

       ·         I believe this is the hardest to accomplish. While working, I am forced to work with a number of different people who generally come from different backgrounds and cultures. Therefore, coming to an understanding when it comes to making any decision can be really challenging. It recently happened that my office decided to change the protocol to ordering diabetic shoes for the patients. For many years, we have experienced a number of problems in obtaining documentation by the doctor who is handling the patient’s diabetes, whether the primary care physician or the endocrinologist. Therefore, it took a good month to decide what the next protocol was going to be. Everyone had a good idea, and everyone, including myself, believed their idea could work the best. It took severe brainstorming; in other words, conducting a frame audit of the frame to understand where everyone was coming from and appreciate the overall conclusions we were obtain. In the end, the organization was able to place a good working protocol for future orders and today; I can see how everyone’s collaboration did merge a good frame. Nevertheless, I do not believe this situation could have been framed any differently nor other tools could have made any difference in the outcome.

      2.   Identify and change inadequate frames: are your frames effective, observe the symptoms of frame misfit, question your reference points, and recognize your key assumptions.

       ·         Identifying and changing inadequate frames is very similar to conducting a frame audit, as it requires the reevaluation of an existing procedure that needs some kind of modification. In this case, the change happens after the protocol has been put into practice. For example, when I first started my undergraduate courses, I did not have a good solid foundation as to studying was concerning. I first began by reading every chapter I was assigned to read and I thought that was all I need it to do. I believed that by doing so, I was assured to have good grades but little did I know. Soon after, I realized that my studying methods were not working, as I was reading information but not putting it into practice; hence, I was not retaining the information when testing. In order to succeed, I had to reevaluate my situation. That is when identifying and changing inadequate frames took place. I began a new plan that required me to do flash cards with definitions I came up with and that is how slowly and progressively I started to improve my grades and knowledge. It took a while before I was able to master my studying habits. It was more of a trial and error way of understanding the symptoms of the frame misfits.

Looking back, maybe this situation could have been framed differently.  The reason is because while experiencing this problem, I was also experiencing a lot of stress and doubting my intelligence. I wish I could have been able to see the bigger picture and refrain from second-guessing my capabilities. Another tool that could have helped me then was time management structure, which has always been a struggle for me. If I had known how to manage my time slightly better, I would probably had been able to read my chapters with more time, and maybe retained for information for the tests.

      3.   Master techniques for reframing: use multiple frames, look for ways to align frames, change metaphors to regain control of a frame, challenge others’ reference points, stretch a frame, build new frames for new situations, and speak to other’s frames.

       ·         Thinking “outside the box” has always been my motto. I like to believe that there is always more to anything that what you can see. Nevertheless, doing so is not as easy or simple as it sounds. When it comes to organizations, we are faced with different problems constantly. It sometimes feels as life is throwing your eggs and you have to manage to juggle them with the only two hands you have. Needless to say, as you manage to do such hustle, you also become complaisant and it becomes second nature. And that is when looking at the bigger picture does not happen. As a medical assistant, I am constantly training the new incoming M.A.’s and with that, come a lot of problems. I have to constantly remind myself that just because I have been doing my work a certain way for so long, it does not mean that a new person cannot bring a new way of doing something to the organization. Other senior medical assistants have a hard time letting go of their frames, and make it really difficult to engage with the new ones. It is then, where I need to interfere and look for ways to align frames, whether old or newer ones. Taking such controls comes with challenges and sometimes; new frames are created due to the power struggles between old and new personnel. This situation could have been framed in a different way by accepting others ideas and opinions and not getting fixated into old-fashioned believes. No other tool could have helped this situation.

            After this exercise, I was able to understand that there is a huge dimension to decision making and that it is not as easy as I thought. There are different tools that could help leaders or anyone in particular when to making a decision but ultimately, understanding your organization and the goals you want to reach are the facts that seal the deal. Moreover, “many companies are turning to cross-functional teams as an antidote to myopic thinking and frame blindness. These teams can also serve a valuable role in identifying and addressing frame conflicts” (Hoch & Kunreuther, 2005, p. 1549). In regards to the risk implemented in my recommendations, I do not think there was ever a time I felt any. I feel most of my recommendations were asked for and I always felt welcomed.

            In conclusion, I was able to learn that I am not afraid to speak up when I feel a situation requires reevaluation and that thankfully my job has permitted me to do so openly. Additionally, I learned that I have to remind myself in some instances, that having a different way of doing something does not necessarily mean is wrong. As I am a creature of habit, it takes a lot from me to let go of that and understand that sometimes, people have better or other ways to accomplish the same results. Nevertheless, I feel like I have managed to remember that and I have not had trouble with it.

References

Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1st edition.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc. 

A632.2.2.RB_DellElceCamila

A632.2.2.RB – Sheena Lyengar: How to Make Choosing Easier

            Sheena Iyengar’s TED Talk presentation entitled, How to Make Choosing Easier, addresses four techniques that will assist us in making choices.  Those four techniques are cut, concretize, categorize and condition (2011).  Each of these techniques can help managers in marketing and selling their products and services to consumers and, consumers can use them to help narrow down their choices when faced with so many options. I realized, I have utilized two of these techniques before. The world we live in today, offers so many choices for just about anything you can think of.  Think about even the easiest things like a cup of coffee. They always ask, do you want that tall, grande, vente?  What happened to small, medium or large? Caramel, Mocha, Pumpkin spice, Chai? Whole milk, skim or non-fat?  Iced, Hot, or blended?  Whip cream, or no whip?  What happened to just ordering a cup of coffee with cream and sugar?

            Sheena Iyengar’s first technique, Cut refers to getting rid of, or letting go of something.  The second one is Concretization, which means to understand the consequences of said choices by seeing it in a concrete way. The third is Categorization, which helps us to understand how to deal with the many choices we have by putting them into categories so we can tell which group is which.  The fourth is Condition for complexity which means when we go from a small number of choices to many we are not as overwhelmed and can handle making more complex decisions rather than being overwhelmed at the start and just picking the standard options.

            A few years ago, when I used to work for the legal field and I was able to work from home a few day a week. I remember, I was looking to purchase an all-in-one copy/print machine. That day I traveled to my local Office Depot to purchase a machine and much to my amazement, there were several different brands of all in ones and various features offered within those brands. I walked up and down the aisle where they were proudly displayed and I felt utterly overwhelmed! I didn’t know what to think or how to choose the best brand or which features I needed the most for my home office.  Needless to say, I left the store without a machine.  I still needed the machine so I decided to go to another office supply store in hopes of finding a machine.  I arrived at Staples and again there was the long aisle of machines filled with choices just like at Office Depot. Iyengar’s technique of cutting down on the choices available to the consumer would’ve been very helpful to me that day.  Later that evening when I arrived at home, I went online to research the brands, features and prices and based on that information, I thought about what exactly I needed the machine to do, which was to make copies, scan documents, fax documents and print documents.  I realized that I could be satisfied with an ink jet instead of laser printing and what price range I wanted to stay within.  Armed with information, I was able to go back to Office Depot with my list of narrowed down choices and purchased my all-in-one machine.  I think that having too many options overwhelmed me and almost kept me from purchasing a product I actually needed.

            In another occasion, I wanted to purchase a pair of high heels to wear for Mother’s Day with my new dress.  I went to the Volusia Mall and entered the Rack Room shoe store because they were advertising a sale in the store window.  Before entering the store I had a list in my mind of what type of shoe I wanted to purchase to match my dress; however, I discovered every type of shoe from sandals to flats, to heels and sneakers down one row and up another!  There were so many categories of shoes, colors and brands that it became hard for me to find what I was looking for to match my dress. Iyengar suggests that retailers categorize their products by offering fewer choices within those categories (2011).  That day I found many pairs of shoes I really liked and “needed” in my wardrobe; nevertheless, not the shoe that I went there to purchase.  There were so many choices that I got lost in the sea of shoes.  I encountered the same predicament at the other department stores as well. In the end, tired of looking around, I ended up wearing an old pair of heels I had in my closet. So, not only I did not find what I needed, but also wasted long hours with the variety of shoes or heels they had to offer at each store.

            In the future, I will be cognizant of the retail tactics that cause consumers to overpay for purchases due to so many choices; and I will keep Iyengar’s four techniques to choosing easier in the forefront of my mind too.  Maybe I will download a shopping app to my cellphone to use as a decision support system (DSS) to use while I’m in the store to help me get right to the products I am looking for with ease.  Making quality choices is more difficult than I originally imagined, but with practice making quick, good choices can become easier.

References

Iyengar, Sheena (2011). How to make choosing easier – TED Talk Video. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_choosing_what_to_choose.html 

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A632.1.4.RB – Multistage Decision-Making

            After reading the Wharton’s text about multistage decision-making models and optimal dynamic decision analysis, I started to reflect on my previous and present decision-making methods and how I could improve them. 

            According to the text, researches may solve multistage problems using mathematical formulas to present the known and unknown factors within a problem, while managers tend to rely on their intuition and past experiences to solve a problem (Hoch & Kunreuther, 2005).  I can attest that when making a decision on how to solve a multistage problem, I too will rely on my past experiences and my intuition in order to arrive at a solution to the problem. I would normally try to gather as much known information as possible, then sort the information on what I believe is important or relevant to the problem, then finalize my expected outcome and move forward with making the decision. I really do not like to devote too much time into just one problem. I rather fixed as soon as possible the best way I can. I have never been a strong mathematician, so solving problems utilizing mathematical formulas would not be my first choice to decision-making. I believe these kinds of formulas are useful in several instances; however, they are not my first alternative when making a decision. Therefore, the use of mathematical formulas would not impact my decision-making in any way.

            Robert J. Meyer and J. Wesley Hutchinson (2005) introduced the concept of forward planning in our decision-making. We are prone to be temporally myopic and often, severely so. Indeed, studies find that people generally can plan no further than just one-step beyond the current decision (Hoch & Kunreuther, 2005). As I considered my own decision-making abilities, based on the information available to me at the time of the problem, I may not be able to predict a positive future outcome or what affect my decision may have in the future. Sadly, my myopia has blinded me on many occasions, and the effects of my decisions were unforgiving.  And there have been other instances when everything worked out just fine! Nevertheless, I continue to seek the “mastering” of knowing when my decision will be right without affecting others.

            I would consider trying to apply optimal dynamic decision analysis to predict future impact of today's decision by stepping back from a problem to broaden my view of other options to solving the problem, ask for more experienced feedback on how to solve the problem and check my own biases to ensure the feedback I received is not blocking the solution to my problem. I consider that getting feedback from others has made helped me in becoming a better optimal dynamic decision-maker. Moreover, I believe that growth in this area is a continual process that comes with trial and error over a lifetime.

            Becoming a great decision-maker is not an easy task, as I have discovered with time. Some decisions seem easier to make than others.  Sometime the ramifications to making a bad decision can have ripple effects that can take years to fix.  No one is born with great decision-making skills; yet, learning the techniques offered by the textbook, provide some answers and guidelines to follow. I am committed to continue to pursue personal and professional growth from decision-making and look forward to many years of great decisions.

References

Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1st edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.