The Little Black Book of Decision Making

The Little Black Book of Decision Making

by Michael Nicholas
Released August 2017
Publisher(s): Capstone
ISBN: 9780857087027

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Book description

The secret to making the right call in an increasingly complex world

The decisions we make every day – frequently automatic and incredibly fast – impact every area of our lives. The Little Black Book of Decision Making delves into the cognition behind decision making, guiding you through the different ways your mind approaches various scenarios. You'll learn to notice that decision making is a matter of balance between your rational side and your intuition – the trick is in honing your intuition to steer you down the right path.

Pure reasoning cannot provide all of the answers, and relying solely on intuition could prove catastrophic in business. There must be a balance between the two, and the proportions may change with each situation. This book helps you quickly pinpoint the right mix of logic and 'gut feeling,' and use it to find the best possible solution.

  • Balance logic and intuition in your decision making approach
  • Avoid traps set by the mind's inherent bias
  • Understand the cognitive process of decision making
  • Sharpen your professional judgement in any situation

Decision making is the primary difference between organisations that lead and those that struggle. The Little Black Book of Decision Making helps you uncover errors in thinking before they become errors in judgement.

Table of contents

  1. Acknowledgements
  2. About the Author
  3. Introduction
  4. Part One: No Place for Old Dogs: New Tricks Required
    1. 1: Let's Get Real: We All Make Mistakes
      1. First Appearances are Often Deceptive
      2. The Problem with Hindsight
      3. Running on Instinct
      4. Accessing More of Our Potential
      5. Great Power, but No Warning Bells
      6. Multiple Levels of “Truth”
      7. Notes
    2. 2: Rule Makers, Rule Breakers
      1. A New Set of Rules
      2. Nothing New Stays New
      3. Everything New Becomes Old
      4. The Challenge of Change
      5. We are All Conditioned
      6. Unexplored Assumptions
      7. The Myth of Rationality
      8. Notes
    3. 3: Coping with an Era of Acceleration
      1. The Limitations of “Best Practice”
      2. Blindsided!
      3. “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”
      4. Prepare for the Revolution
      5. Experts and Chimpanzees
      6. What's the Problem with Complexity?
      7. Context Is Key
      8. The Critical Differentiator
      9. Notes
  5. Part Two: Mindset Matters! Getting Beyond the Process
    1. 4: What Could be Wrong with “Being Right”?
      1. Who or What to Trust?
      2. Masters of Self-Deception
      3. There's No Avoiding Emotions
      4. I'm Right Because I Believe I Am
      5. In Search of Objectivity
      6. Notes
    2. 5: The “Reality” Delusion
      1. Interpretation Is Subjective
      2. What Does it All Mean?
      3. Pickpockets and Pockets
      4. No Awareness, No Choices
      5. Three Levels of Awareness
      6. Shaping Experience from the Inside Out
    3. 6: Wired for Flight and Fight
      1. Is Survival About Paranoia?
      2. Our Evolutionary Heritage
      3. If the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer …
      4. Fearing “Nothing”
      5. The Scary Unknown
      6. Warped Perceptions
      7. Creating Stress by Thought Alone
      8. The Problem in a Nutshell
      9. Notes
    4. 7: The Dance of Old and New
      1. Modelling the Mind
      2. The Three Part Brain
      3. Two Approaches to Decision Making
      4. The Conditions for Creativity
      5. Getting to Grips with Insights
      6. Intuition: Our Fourth Mental Capability
      7. Balanced Decision Making Requires a Balanced Mind and Brain
      8. Notes
  6. Part Three: Transforming Decision Making from the Inside Out
    1. 8: The Inside-Out Challenge
      1. Technical versus Adaptive Learning
      2. Brains are “Plastic”
      3. The Power of Attention
      4. Attention, and The Myth of “the 10,000-Hour Rule”
      5. Turning Development Inside Out
      6. Addressing “Big Questions 1 & 2”
      7. Notes
    2. 9: Evolving the Brain
      1. Notes
    3. 10: Unlocking Creativity Through Mindfulness
      1. Achieving Optimal Performance
      2. The Ultimate Skill
      3. Getting Present
      4. Attention in the Absence of Mindfulness
      5. Bounded Awareness
      6. Seeking to Disprove
      7. Meditation Improves Attention
      8. The Conditions for Insight
      9. Notes
  7. Conclusion
    1. The Need for Mindful Awareness
    2. “Get into the Water”
    3. Transformation via the Ten Principles
    4. Notes
  8. Index
  9. EULA

Product information

  • Title: The Little Black Book of Decision Making
  • Author(s): Michael Nicholas
  • Release date: August 2017
  • Publisher(s): Capstone
  • ISBN: 9780857087027