Problem Solver: Maximizing Your Strengths to Make Better Decisions (AREA Method Publications)

Our decisions are expressions of who we are and how we move through the world. Rarely, though, do we examine our decisions or even look inward to consider the psychology of our decision-making. Instead, we often make decisions based on what we call instinct (which relies on cognitive bias), false assumptions, mis-remembering, and mental mistakes. Truthfully, we don't see the world as it is; we see it as we are. We can develop self-knowledge about our decision-making styles. We can wake ourselves up to how biases cloud our judgment and impede good decision-making―and we can counter bias. From there, we can transform our decision-making habits to make better big decisions alone and together. Problem Solve r provides you with tools to identify: • The five basic decision-making approaches, or "Problem Solver Profiles" (PSPs): Adventurer, Detective, Listener, Thinker, and Visionary • Your dominant―and secondary―PSPs • Tools to assess other peoples' PSPs • Each PSP's decision-making strengths, blind spots, and biases • How your PSP impacts your outlook on life and your risk appetite • How to use your PSP to maximize your decision strengths Replete with real-life examples and replicable strategies to apply new decision-making skills for your immediate benefit, Problem Solver will do more than help you look out into a future; it will equip you to move forward, with confidence, into your future. Problem Solver 1 Contents 14 Acknowledgments 18 Cheetah Sheet 1: Problem Solver Profiles 20 Introduction: The Data of Living 24 To Know Thyself: How to Use This Book 26 1. How Do You Decide? 28 PSP Quiz Instructions 40 2. Lexicon, Situationality, and Community 41 3. The Adventurer 50 4. The Detective 57 5. The Listener 62 6. The Thinker 67 7. The Visionary 74 8. Hunt Like the Cheetah 82 Cheetah Sheet 1: Problem Solver Profiles 83 Cheetah Sheet 2: PSP Decision Rear-View Mirror 84 Completed Cheetah Sheet 2: PSP Decision Rear-View Mirror (Niko) 84 Cheetah Sheet 3: Identifying and Understanding Others’ PSPs 87 Completed Cheetah Sheet 3: Identifying and Understanding Others’ PSPs (Clara) 88 9. PSPs and Risk Profiles 90 Cheetah Sheet 4: PSPs + Risk 96 Cheetah Sheet 5: PSP + Risk Alignment 98 Completed Cheetah Sheet 5: PSPs + Risk Alignment (Tony) 100 10. PSPs and Cognitive Biases 104 Cheetah Sheet 6: PSPs Strengths + Blind Spots 107 Cheetah Sheet 7: Limiting Biases 119 Completed Cheetah Sheet 7: Limiting Biases (Clara) 120 11. Ambiguity versus Uncertainty 122 Cheetah Sheet 8: Using Inversion to Derive Your Vision of Success 128 Completed Cheetah Sheet 8: Using Inversion to Derive Your Vision of Success (Ariana) 129 12. Using PSPs to Bolster Strengths 131 Cheetah Sheet 9: PSP Strategies to Bolster Strengths and Limit Biases 138 Completed Cheetah Sheet 9: PSP Strategies to Bolster Strengths and Limit Biases (Clara) 139 13. How PSPs Color Our Relationship with Data 141 Cheetah Sheet 10: PSP Data Traps 148 Cheetah Sheet 11: Types of Great Questions 152 Cheetah Sheet 12: Types of Great Questions Quiz 154 14. Situationality and Dynamic Decision-Making 156 Cheetah Sheet 13: Dynamic Decision-Making 162 Cheetah Sheet 14: Situationality 164 Completed Cheetah Sheet 14: Situationality (Miriam) 165 Cheetah Sheet 15: Secondary PSP 166 Completed Cheetah Sheet 15: Secondary PSP (Miriam) 167 Cheetah Sheet 16: Discerning Your Situationality 168 Completed Cheetah Sheet 16: Discerning Your Situationality (Miriam) 169 15. The Relationship between PSPs and Life Outlook 172 Glossary 176 Notes 180 Cast of Problem Solvers (in Order of Appearance) 184 Index 186 "Rarely do we examine our decisions to consider the psychology of our decision-making. Instead, we often make decisions by instinct, which relies on cognitive bias. But we can develop self-knowledge about our decision-making styles, learn how biases cloud judgment and decision-making, and can counter bias to make better big decisions"-- Provided by publisher