Final Decision / Recommendation of a Decision Analysis

Published: Feb 4, 2005

This is an elaboration of the Recommendation section in the Decision Analysis unit. In this section you are recommending the action to be taken as determined by your analysis of the problem or opportunity.

Excerpt from the Recommendation section of the Decision Analysis unit:

This is the final decision.

Include as much rationale as is required to convince yourself or others.

Make a Decision

Select a solution from your Alternative Solutions.
Refine this as your final decision.
Provide a schedule or a sequence of implementation events if there is more than one.
Explain the implementation flexibility by identifying the fixed and variable items.
Include an implementation outline containing such things as an action plan, follow-up schedule, information for and feedback from stakeholders, delegate tasks and assign authority.

Clean up your document

Review your entire document for simplification and clarity. This also helps to justify or rationalize your decision process to others.
Move any information overload to appendices or separate containers for ready reference.
Insert cross-references to appropriate "probortunity" items.

A good decision means nothing until acted upon

Final Comments and Suggestions on the Decision Making Process

Digesting many pages of information to less than 20 words is: (a) good mental exercise for improving your decision making ability, (b) others appreciate the clarity of your presentations and (c) you will make a good impression on others.

Prepare several Decision Analysis sets for your future reference to handle varying situations and types of problems and opportunities. These could be specific to your type of operation or could range in size and format for most anticipated contingencies. For instance, your decision making arsenal could include (1) this full format, (2) a single-day version, (3) a decision-in-one-hour size, (4) a quick five-minute outline, (5) a one-minute quickie and (6) a training manual for learning how to make snap decisions where seconds count. Any of these could readied for situations when it's you or someone else initiates a crisis or for an anticipated event.

The scope of your document depends on the importance of the decision.

Memorize your favorite version for training your mind for quick on-the-spot decisions.

If you are not endowed with a high level of intelligence, a good decision making discipline will make you appear smart.

Of all the management skills, decision making is the one that is most handsomely rewarded.

Refer to the notes in, Benefits from Writing a Decision Making Document.

Final Decision / Recommendation of a Decision Analysis

Make a Decision

Clean up your document

Final Comments and Suggestions on the Decision Making Process

Decision Analysis Sections