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10 Ways To Make Better Decisions

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Making good decisions is hard. And often, it’s the process that’s behind your decision that needs the most help. How you develop judgment and good decision making habits matters. That’s why I’ve been looking around for simple tools that help better “decisioning” become a habit.

A picture might tell a 1,000 words but a great visual tool shares a lot more than that. It can grab your attention, inspire clear thinking, and help all of us act in smarter ways. 

So, see below my top 10 tools. Which is your favorite? Did I forget any? Are there others you’d like to suggest?!

1. State your case and make sure you’re heard

You’ve got a message to share — and this tool can help you do so, simply and effectively, but only if you choose the right one. 

With an array of options out there, choosing the best way to visualize data can be tricky.  Datanest’s Nabih Ibrahim Bawazir and Bausch School of Business Dean Andrew Abela present a multitude of options that are perfect for any scenario, including whether the storyteller wants to share a comparison, a relationship, a distribution, or a composition. Go ahead — choose your own adventure, but be sure to choose wisely.

2. Expect cognitive bias

You may have picked the right way to present your ideas, and yet, you still can’t control how your audience will interpret them.  Communication is a two-way street, and your audience will inevitably bring their own filters and baggage to the mix. Even if you know your information is 100% factual, your audience’s interpretation will be impacted by their own biases.  

And, let’s be honest, it’s likely that you have your own biases, too. Here are the 20 most common cognitive biases.  See if you can identify them real time...

3. Utilize the essential elements of storytelling

It turns out that the “art of storytelling” is actually a science (like most things IMHO).  In the “Periodic Table of Storytelling,” Lou Hoffman, Mark Pinset, and Patrizia Huen illustrate the most important components of telling a great story. They recommend being outgoing, sharing an anecdote, and featuring a visual — all of which they accomplish with this creative, and very scientific, visualization.

4. Understand that people are predictable 

When Andriy Burkov shared this funny probability distribution from the gym, data enthusiasts from across the world debated whether it was a normal distribution or right-skewed, and never settled on a final answer. Personally, I believe that it’s “augmented analytics” come to life. 

But two things are certain, math rules the world, and even with the possibility that it offers for clearer answers, it’s yet another thing we can’t agree on. 

5. No, really, we’re predictable 

How do I know? Just play the name game and don’t be surprised when you win every time.  Apparently, if someone knows your name, they may automatically know your age too. This clever visualization by Five Thirty Eight’s Nate Silver and Allison McCann shares how they know that Sophia is somewhere between 5 and 8 years old and that Gertrude is around 80. Now, try it for yourself. You’ll be amazed at how predictable we all are. 

6. Make the most of our predictability and leverage AI 

Why AI? Well, for one, it promises $15 trillion in monetary value to industries, according to McKinsey & Company’s research. This visualization breaks down the total potential annual value in traditional AI and analytics and advanced AI — within each domain, too.

7. Step it up with AI if you’re not already doing so 

Spoiler alert: most industries are not. We’re all talking about AI, yet most industries are still investing very little in it — with entertainment, computer hardware, insurance, and online media falling behind. Financial Institutions aren’t doing much better, with an investment that’s just 2.4% of the pie. Even worse news — 54% of financial institution employees surveyed by Accenture said that they can’t leverage AI because their data is either siloed or unusable.

8. Even better, scale AI and win

Turns out, companies that make the move to scale AI reap the benefits. According to Accenture’s Ketan Awalegaonkar, Robert Berkey, Greg Douglass, and Athena Reilly, executives in countries all over the world believe that without AI, their companies will fail. And yet, they’re still struggling to scale AI. So, which side of the AI race do you want to be on? 

9. Dive into data, analytics, and AI here 

For the past six years, FirstMark’s Matt Turck has created a comprehensive data “state of the union.” This year, he also covered AI — and announced that the term “Big Data” is a phrase of the past. If you’re looking to hit the ground running with data, analytics, and AI, this is a great place to get the lay of the land.

10. Resist the status quo

Want to make a change? Then you’ll need to fight innovation’s #1 enemy: the status quo. After all, there is a “no” in innovation. Don’t say you weren’t warned…

Bonus!

Adopt a growth mindset

If you’re ready to leave your comfort zone and grow, there’s very little that will hold you back. As this instructive and empowering visualization shows, you may need to travel a road of discomfort — moving from feeling insecure to gaining new skills to finally finding purpose and conquering your objectives, but at least there’s a clear path to follow. So, what are you waiting for? 

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