|
{{B}}Decisions,
decisions ...{{/B}} Poor decisions are commonplace. In fact, they are often institutionalised In the workplace, poor decisions{{U}} (21) {{/U}}good ones in many situations. While management consultants{{U}} (22) {{/U}}companies on many aspects of running a business, basic decision-making is often{{U}} (23) {{/U}}out of the equation. Professor Larry Phillips, who teaches at the London School of Economics, says: 'Because we make decisions all the time, it is{{U}} (24) {{/U}}that we know how to do it.' It is a skill which is supposed to come{{U}} (25) {{/U}}but many of us would fare better with coaching. Psychologist Rob Yeung of consultancy Kiddy & Partners says millions of pounds are lost in business because the wrong people are hired. 'Although businesses may be quite good at{{U}} (26) {{/U}}the terrible candidates from the mediocre ones, they aren't very good at{{U}} (27) {{/U}}those who are just good from those who are excellent.' And many businesses have procedures that repress good decisions. Phillips says: 'One of the most commonplace problems is that people are held to{{U}} (28) {{/U}}without the requisite responsibility to meet that authority .That creates tremendous anxiety.' For instance, you will see manufacturing departments which are{{U}} (29) {{/U}}by the sales income they achieve - but the sales price is set by someone else. Managers will often be blamed by their bosses for a downturn in commercial activity when the true culprit is market conditions. 'There is a failure to understand variability,' says Phillips, who bemoans the{{U}} (30) {{/U}}tendency to judge companies by their last quarter's results alone. |