About the Author
Michael E. McGrath is the creator of the popular Decide Better! decision-making series and bestselling author of Product Strategy for High Tech Companies. His recent book Decide Better! For a Better Life published in 2008, has been nominated for numerous awards and also named a finalist for ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year.
Media Appearances
Michael continues to be invited to appear as a frequent guest discussing
decision making on radio, television, and at other events throughout
the country.
Click here for Media Highlights
"Making smart decisions is an essential business skill. Michael's Business Decision! is a well-written, creative, and practical guide that should be helpful for executives at every level."
- Robert Crandall, former CEO and Chairman, American Airlines
"Business Decisions! is extremely well motivated, very provocative, and filled with practical insight into making better decisions for your business. It should be essential reading for all managers/"
- Professor Stephen P. Bradley, Harvard Business School
Business Decisions! provides a timely solution to improving your decision making. It is a singularly comprehensive guide to the skills, practices and insights needed for making great business decisions. It also presents business case studies and the most important techniques executives and managers can use to improve decisions in today’s economy.
Business Decisions! provides solutions to many of the challenges facing companies today, including the following:
- Managing your decision risk
- Understanding the long-term implications of your short-term decisions
- Making sure you don't miss critical decision opportunities
- Knowing when you should make bold moves while not taking on unnecessary risk
- Avoiding indecision in yourself and others
- Understanding your own decision strengths and weaknesses
- Implementing effective decision making in your teams and groups
- Understanding how your company culture affects your decisions
- Implementing a successful decision process for your projects
Table of Contents
Introduction
Section 1 Decision Pitfalls
Chapter 1
Letting Risk Get Out of Control
Chapter 2
Ignoring Crucial Decisions
Chapter 3
Disregarding Long Term Consequences
Chapter 4
Throwing Good Money after Bad
Chapter 5
Underestimating Deceptively Simple Decisions
Chapter 6
Dealing with the "Challenger Syndrome"
Chapter 7
Suffering from Indecision
Chapter Sample
Companies can fail or thrive during unexpected times of crisis. While strong, successful companies are prepared for crises when they occur, other companies may take a large financial hit and even possibly go completely out of business. The very word “crisis” indicates something that is unexpected, something that poses a unique challenge to a business that is not a traditional challenge faced on a regular basis. Some crises are caused by outside forces beyond the control of executives. Others result from failures in actions or decisions by executives, managers, or other employees. And some are caused by a combination of external and internal factors. How a company and its leaders react during these times of crisis is crucial, and good business leaders can manage crises and come out on the other end intact — and possibly even in a better situation.
