Rationalist Decision-Making: PH'1L1

This is a popular method amongst academics and consultants, and the assumption behind much popular advice.

ClosedAlternate Names

The method is commonly recommended by governments and international organizations because of its capacity to operate over long time-scales, provide control, support measurements, and be articulated in a generalized way.

It's obvious.

The thing to do is set yourself objectives. Be clear about your aims. If you don't know what you want to achieve, how can you ever achieve it? It goes without saying that you must have established what business you are in. But then the secret is to set your priorities because that determines how you allocate your time and resources. Once this is done you can easily work out a plan that will lead to the outcome that you want: and that makes evaluation so easy too.

If everyone knows what you are aiming for and adheres to organizational policies, then they can do their part and can help you. Goal setting and pulling together as a team: those are the secrets of success.

Decision Process & Typical Terminology

Note: The schema is artificial. Typical rationalist language is highlighted.

Conceptual Schema Rationalist Handling
Start
 Recognize the rationale for action i.e. over-arching value(s), mission, and strategy, relevant to the immediate issue.
Explore From this, refine and specify objectives and criteria in terms of what is feasible and desirable.
Develop Possibilities From this, develop options using relevant facts, and analyses and evaluate these in terms of pros and cons using the objectives and criteria.
Resolve Assign priorities consistently and coherently to be clear about the immediate choice at any point in time.
Reiterate Work out a more detailed action plan, sequencing tasks in a coherent process.
Implement Mobilize people and resources for action and set matters in motion.
Review Check progress against plans, schedules, priorities, and tactical objectives; and compare results with values and higher level objectives.
Handle Failure Maintain values, but adjust plans, including if need be, re-definition of the mission and key objectives.

ClosedReminder of the Schema Principles

  1. Start — based on some impulse or impetus to act.
  2. Explore — inquiry or further examination of the issue.
  3. Develop Possibilities — discover and consider alternative courses of action.
  4. Resolve — the moment of decision: based on applying value.
  5. Reiterate — often a more detailed repeat of some (even all) earlier phases.
  6. Implement — actions that put the resolution into practice.
  7. Review — inquiry that occurs during action and afterwards.
  8. Handle Failure — the usual way to overcome failure.

Next step:

► Test yourself and read more on Rationalist decision-making
► Continue to the Empiricist approach
► Return to the summary Table

Originally posted: 3-Apr-2011