Howard Raiffa

You know success depends on making smart choices

An effective decision-making process will fulfill these six criteria:

• It focuses on what’s important.

• It is logical and consistent.

• It acknowledges both subjective and objective factors and blends analytical with intuitive thinking.

• It requires only as much information and analysis as is necessary to resolve a particular dilemma.

• It encourages and guides the gathering of relevant information and informed opinion.

• It is straightforward, reliable, easy to use, and flexible

The first five— Problem, Objectives, Alternatives, Consequences, and Tradeoffs— constitute the core of our approach and are applicable to virtually any decision.