On the Nature of Decision Making

The difficulty of making decisions can be made easier by choosing the right decision process. The approach, the epistemology of decision making has to be correctly chosen to make a difficult decision.

We have developed various techniques for making difficult decisions. Partial decisions, delayed decisions, temporary decisions, imperfact decisions, incomplete decisions, reduced decisions, extended decisions... When studied closely each of these make decision taking easier.

Partial decisions may be implemented in many ways. The basic principle is dividing a difficult task to smaller pieces. The decision may be taken as an aggregate of decisions made on various parts of the main task. The sub divisions may even be given by different individuals. A decision may be divided to subdecisions which are spreaded through time. This may be useful for time dependent tasks. Flight Plan Processing uses this tecnique for ensuring the safe surveillence of air craft.

Delayed decisions also help to clarify complex situations and minimize risk. Air traffic controllers try to delay their decisions as much as possible to avoid unnecessary moves and reduce risk.

Temporary decisions are used when nothing is clear but something has to be done. The chances are your choice may be correct. It is used emergency situations. Temporary decisions are used by companies when they do not have the ability to see the economic situation or the situation of their operations.

Imperfact decisions are made when the ability of the workers or company is not enough. An imperfact decision is taken nevertheless to continue working and improve it ASAP.

An incomplete decision is not an imperfact decision. You make an incomplete decision with open options to be selected later on. It is used when flexibility is required.

Reduced decisions are logically reduced from the required decisions. They are not necessarily the same as the original decision but its results give the linearly independent items of the original decision.

Extended decisions may make things easier by enhancing the results area of the original decision.

It is not enough to educate and train students who can just think excellently. Students of mentally demanding professions should be trained to develop skills and habits of how they can reduce their load of thinking.