Master decision making in the workplace by being aware of decision-making traps, how your mindset affects your decision making and how to be more ethical at work.

1. Decision Making
in Complex
Systems
• Hidden Traps in Decision-
making
• Mindset & Decisions
• Ethics & Etiquettes

2. Strategic
Decision Making
in Complex
Systems

3. Process of
making the
decision
Mindset of the
decision
maker
Bad Decisions WHY?
Logic relied
upon
Information
used

5. Heuristics
“cognitive rules of thumb,
hard – wired mental short cuts
…that people use each day to make
routing decisions and judgment.

6. … heuristics can be traps
Heuristics are
normally helpful

7. The best defense is always
AWARENESS
Being aware of how these heuristics work
as well as the potential biases they introduce might
help you make better & more accurate decisions

8. Types of “traps”
Causes & manifestations
How to guard against them

10. The mind gives
disproportionate weight
to the first information it
receives
Stereotypes Past Events
& Trends
…initials impressions, estimates, or data
anchor subsequent thoughts & judgment

11. ❑Always view problems from different perspective,
instead of sticking with the first line of thought
❑Think about a problem on your own before
consulting others to avoid becoming anchored by
their ideas
❑Be open-minded, seek information & opinions
from a variety of people to widen your frame of
reference
❑Be particularly wary of anchors in negotiations

12. …a strong bias
towards alternative
that perpetuate the
status-quo

13. Lies in our
desire to
protect our
egos from
damage

14. Breaking from
status-quo = Taking
Action
Taking
responsibility
=
Criticisms
& Regret
Status-Quo = Safer Course
& less risks

15. The more the choices you have,
the more pull the status-quo has
Sin of Commission
(doing something) = More Punishment
Sin of omission
(doing nothing) = Less Punishment

16. ❑Always remind yourself of your objectives &
examine how they would be served by the
status-quo
❑Identify other options & use them as
counterbalances, evaluating the plus &
minuses
❑Would you choose the status-quo if it
weren’t the status-quo?

17. ❑Avoid exaggerating the effort/cost involved
in switching from the status-quo
❑Remember that the desirability of the status-
quo will change overtime
❑Avoid defaulting to the status-quo just
because you are having a hard time

18. Sunk-Cost Trap

19. …making choices in a
way that justifies past
choices, even when they
no longer seem valid
People’s
unwillingness
(consciously/unco
nsciously) to admit
to a mistake

20. ❑Good decisions can sometimes lead to bad outcomes
❑Seek out & listen carefully to the views of people who
were NOT involved with earlier decisions
❑Examine why admitting to an earlier mistake
distresses you
❑Don’t cultivate a failure-fearing culture
❑In rewarding people, look at the quality of their
decision-making (bearing in mind what was known at
the time their decisions were made) not just the
quality of the outcome.

21. Warren Buffet

22. Confirming-Evidence
Trap
Seeking out information that supports our
existing instinct or point of view while
avoiding information that contradicts its
…affects where we go to seek information
…affects how we interpret evidence

23. ❑Check to see whether you are examining all the
evidences with equal rigor
❑Avoid the tendency to accept confirming evidence
without question
❑Get someone you respect to play devil’s advocate
to argue against the decision you are
contemplating

24. ❑Be honest with yourself about your motives;
…are you really gathering info to help you make a
smart choice, or you are just looking for evidence to confirm
what you would like to do?
❑ Build counter-arguments yourself;
…what is the strongest reason to do something else?
…what is the second strongest and even the third?
In seeking advice of others, don’t ask leading
questions that invite confirming evidence.

25. Framing
Trap
…the manner in which data is
presented can affect decision making

26. highlighted how many germs
it did not kill (a negative
attribute).
Bleachox
highlighted the percentage
of germs it did kill (a
positive attribute)
Bleach-it
kill 95% of all
germs
only 5% of
germs survive

27. Most humans find it attractive
when the POSITIVE features of an
option are highlighted instead of
the NEGATIVE ones.

28. Don’t automatically accept the initial
frame, irrespective of who formulates it
…try posing problems in a neutral, redundant
way that combines gains & losses or embraces
different reference points.
Think through your choices concerning
an issue & try to become more informed
on it.
Provide rationales for our choices.
…ask yourself how your thinking might change
if the framing changed

29. The best protection against all
psychological traps is
AWARENESS & TAKING ACTION
to understand and avoid
psychological traps

30. Soldier VS Scout
Mindset

31. 31
Adrenaline
elevated
Protect
oneself/defeat
the enemy

32. The Scout
32
Wants to know
what is really
there as
accurately as
possible

33. Making good decisions,
making accurate predictions &
having good judgment
What mindset are you in?
33

34. 19th Century France
CASE STUDY:
Alfred Dreyfus
34

35. The
Treacherous
Memo
1894
35

36. 36
No past history
of wrongdoing
No motive as
they could tell
No signs of
espionage in his
apartment
Dreyfus was the
only Jewish
officer at that
rank in the army

37. 37
Studied
foreign
languages in
school
Said to have
a good
memory by
teachers
HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS

38. 38
Degradation of Dreyfus
Life Imprisonment

39. Why were the
officers so
convinced that
Dreyfus was
guilty?
39

40. Motivated Reasoning
Trying to make some
ideas win & others loose;
the drive to attack or
defend ideas
40
SOLDIER MINDSET

41. Col Picquart
But what if
Dreyfus is
innocent?
41
Spying for
Germany
continued even
when Dreyfus
was in jail
Another officer
in the army
have similar
handwriting to
the one in the
memo

42. 42
Piquart has the same
prejudices as the others,
what was his
motivation?

43. Picquart
= Scout Mindset
…trying to get an
accurate picture
of reality, even
when that’s
unpleasant or
inconvenient
43

44. What causes the scout mindset?
44
How do we cut through our
own biases & motivations
to see things as objectively
as they are?

45. EMOTIONS
45
Soldier
Mindset
Defensiveness
Tribalism

46. EMOTIONS
46
Scout
Mindset
Curiosity
Open-minded
Grounded
Predict good
judgment

47. ❑Scouts are more likely to say they feel
pleasure when they learn new information
❑Scouts are more likely to feel intrigued when
they encounter something that contradicts
expectations
47

48. 48

49. 49
It is not about how smart you
are, or about how much you
know,
…it’s about
how you feel

50. ❑We need to change the way we feel
❑We need to learn how to feel proud instead of
ashamed when we might have been wrong about
something
❑We need to learn how to feel intrigued instead of
defensive when we encounter some info that
contradicts our belief
50

51. Traps can work in isolation & even in concert,
amplifying one another
At every stage of the decision-making process,
misconceptions, biases & other tricks of the mind
can influence the choices we make
Highly complex decisions are the most prone to
distortion because they tend to involve the most
assumptions, the most estimates & the most inputs
from the most people
The higher the stakes, the higher the risk of being
caught in a psychological trap

52. “If you want to build a
ship, don’t drum up your
men to collect wood, and
give orders, & distribute
the work.
Instead, teach them to
yearn for the vast and
endless sea.”
52
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

53. What do you
yearn for?
53
…to defend your own beliefs or to see the
world as clearly as you possibly can

54. EXERCISE

55. Ethics &
Etiquettes in the
Workplace
55

56. Why do people get
fired from their
workplace?

57. ETHICS = the science of MORALS
a person’s standards of beliefs concerning
what is and not acceptable to you
MORALS =

58. principles, values,
standards & rules
that govern a
person’s behavior
accepted code of
behavior in an
environment
ETHICS ETIQUETTE
Personal
Social

59. 59
Will it hurt
anyone?
Is this legal &
fair?
Will it make
anyone
uncomfortable?
Does it convey
respect for
others?

60. ETHICS + ETIQUETTE
Character

61. Credibility = Character + Competence.
61
…creating It and Keeping It

62. • “I’ll call you.”
• “Let’s do lunch.”
• “We really need to get together.”
• “I’ll get back to you later today.”
• “I tried to call you back, but you weren’t there, and I
didn’t leave a message.”
• “I’m almost finished with that project.”
62
…creating It and Keeping It

63. 63
If you develop a habit of saying things you don’t
mean, and making promises you don’t keep, you
diminish others’ ability to trust you and chip
away at your own credibility, which is one of your
most important yet fragile assets.

64. 64
Credibility takes time to establish and, in
some cases, only an instant to destroy.

65. 65
Establishing
Credibility in the
Workplace
MASTERING THE ART OF STRAIGHT TALK
…straightforward communication that is open and
honest, timely and accurate.”

66. Resist the temptation to stretch
the truth.
...your tendency to amplify a
story may affect how colleagues
perceive you, which damages
your effectiveness.
Avoid excessively using jargon
and buzzwords.
… we scramble to create an
aura of competence by using
incomprehensible jargon.

67. Make only promises you intend to
keep.
…Saying “no” or “I can’t” can be
difficult, but getting labeled as
someone who can’t be believed
or relied on is worse.
Admit Mistakes
…Credibility comes from a
willingness to admit to faults
and mistakes,”

68. Develop Your
Gratitude
Attitude
68
…Say “Thank You” and Mean It

69. 69
Concern yourself more with
substance than form
…the issue is not so much the form
that the thank you takes as the
spirit behind it.
Respond quickly & enthusiastically
… the quicker you respond, the more
enthusiastic you will be.

70. Tell Me
Less
…some Things Are
Better Left Unsaid
70

71. 71
Although revealing
information about yourself
may help you build bridges
with coworkers, you must
maintain a balance between
being open and maintaining
an appropriate level of
privacy

72. 10 TOPICS TO AVOID IN WORKPLACE CONVERSATIONS
72
• Detailed health problems
• Details of sex life
• Problems with spouse/partner
• Personal finances (either positive or negative)
• Personal religious views
• Hot political topics that evoke passion
• Personal lives of other coworkers
• Gossip about the boss
• Jokes that disparage other ethnic, racial, or religious
groups
• Lavish purchases

73. being sensitive to others
and choosing when and
where to divulge personal
information is itself a form
of self-revelation.

74. Giving Genuine
Compliments
That Count

75. “The deepest
principle in
human nature is
the craving to be
appreciated.”
- William James

76. Outsmart
Your
Phone

77. • Avoid allowing your devices to interfere with
opportunities to interact with others.
• Think about what annoys you about other people’s
cell phone habits.
• Consider the needs of the other person.
• Avoid inconveniencing others because you are on the
phone.
• Observe guidelines for texting - text with good
judgment and with care.

78. Using Social Media to Make - Not Break Your Career
• Understanding social media’s rewards and
risks
• Understand the purpose of various social
media resources & decide which one works
best for you and your objectives.
• Understand your company’s policy, best
practices, and corporate culture.
• Use good judgment about posting photos.
• Think long-term about what you post.

79. The New Job
…getting Started
on the Right Foot

80. Don’t be a
know-it-all
Take the
initiative and
be friendly
Build a
support
network.
Earn a
reputation as a
team player
Ask questions
and solicit
feedback
Get to know
the corporate
culture

81. …make working together more
enjoyable and productive

82. • Some small behavioral adjustments can make the difference
between congeniality and conflict.
• Check your own workplace behaviors to avoid annoying coworkers
unnecessarily.
• A smell that is pleasing to you may not be so enjoyable to others.
Avoid pungent foods and strong perfumes.
• Noise pollution—from loud phone conversations, ringing phones,
music, and chitchat among coworkers—is a common workplace
complaint.
• If you wouldn’t have a particular conversation while a colleague was
in your cubicle, don’t have it if someone is in a nearby cubicle.
Chances are your conversation can still be overheard.
• Treat cubicles like what they are - coworkers’ offices.

83. Getting Along with Your
Manager
…spotting & solving personality
problems

84. You worked hard to develop the skills to do your job. You’ve
found a position that allows you to put your training to good
use. Things couldn’t be more perfect. Now, six months into your
employment, your dream job has turned into a surreal
nightmare.
You’re obviously competent. You’re ambitious and dedicated.
You like the people in the company. The problem, however, is
that you really have a problem with your boss. It’s not that she
is abusive or dishonest, but her management style and her
personality in general set your teeth on edge to the point that
you hate being around her, and it’s making you have second
thoughts about whether you should be in that position at all.
C A S E

85. learn to spot potential
personality issues during an
interview, before you take
the plunge
learn to spot potential
personality issues during an
interview, before you take
the plunge

86. Know your own style and look
for compatibility
…determine how your energy level will fit
with your potential manager’s.

87. Dress Code
Confusion

88. A client visiting your office hesitates to get on
the elevator with a couple of scruffy-looking
characters. Is she in the wrong place? Are these
loiterers hanging out in your building up to no
good? It turns out that these are two of your
fellow employees on the way back to the office
from lunch. It just happens to be dress-down
Friday, and they’ve taken the casual initiative to
a whole new level.

89. The less credibility
you have from
other sources, the
more you may have
to rely on your
external presence
to make that first
impression.

90. Understand
that the way
you dress
often affects
the way you
behave.

91. No matter how relaxed the dress
code, be rigorous about how well you
put yourself together.
Don’t confuse
casual dress with
casual grooming.

92. …remember that well-tailored business attire can
disguise or minimize a multitude of figure flaws,
something a tight-fitting knit shirt just can’t do
for you.

93. Refuse to Schmooze
& You Lose
…cultivating the Social
Side of Business

94. A talented young woman in a fast-growing software development
firm was shocked when her coworkers ranked her low in a peer-
rated performance review. The reason? One recurring criticism
was that she rarely socialized with other members of the
company, never joining them for lunch or drinks after work and
seldom attending company parties. They essentially saw her
behavior as undermining the teamwork necessary to meet their
corporate goals. “But I do great work,” she lamented. “I didn’t
realize that being a party animal was part of the job description.
And I’m just not good at that sort of thing!”

95. Professional,
Not Antisocial

96. Keep your
purpose firmly in
mind
…use the occasion to
accomplish a goal of
initiating new
relationships or
developing existing ones.

97. SCHMOOZING:
…more than just parties
Be alert for ways to celebrate with
people or express sympathy for their
sorrow.

98. How to Leave A Job
…making a graceful exit

100. Analyze the reasons for your firing.
…was the job technically beyond your abilities?
…did its requirements run counter to your
personality?

101. What can you LEARN
about yourself from this
situation?

102. Whatever the situation is for your dismissal,
you need to behave with dignity and grace.
•Express gratitude to your manager and others, for
the opportunity to work at the company &
mention some of the growth that you have
experienced.
•Share any pertinent information you have that
someone filling your position might need.

103. •If you’re angry, don’t deny or smother your
feelings, but find a venue outside your
former workplace to vent.
•Avoid the temptation to rant on social
media, (potential employers may see you as
a loose cannon.)

104. If You’re
Laid Off

105. ➢Don’t burn any bridges
➢Don’t turn the supportive network of fellow
laid-off employees into a forum for grumbling
and company bashing

107. Handle your departure with the poise that
will leave everyone with a favorable
impression
…put your resignation on paper

108. Try to leave on good terms with everyone
…thank everyone who helped you do your job or
who showed you the ropes when you first joined
the company
…if you do stay connected to former coworkers,
avoid digging for work-related dirt or gossip
when you see or talk to them.

109. Resist the urge to boast
about your new position.
…be upbeat, but keep your
enthusiasm under control

110. Help Ensure A Smooth Transition
…put the same high level of energy into your work on
your last days as you did when you weren’t planning to
leave
…add to your daily duties a spirit of helping those who
will stay and have to deal with the issues of your
transition

111. Confronting
With Courtesy
Preserving
Relationships While
Resolving Differences

112. What are some
causes of conflicts
in the workplace?

113. differing values
scarcity of
resources
incorrect
assumptions or
incomplete or
bad information
open
communication

114. Dealing
With Conflicts Ask questions
to gain
perspective
Deal with the
issue quickly
Don’t overreact;
respond
appropriately to
the situation Preempt the
conflict if
possible
Focus on
solutions, not
on blame.

116. …this last
impression you
make will be
the one your
former
employer will
remember.
…remember
that the
contacts you
made at your
former job can
be valuable
resources, so
exit with class.

117. Thank
You
Moses Datoegoem MBA, CPM
0703-617-0225
datoegoem91@gmail.com