Ask a Decision Engineer

S6E06 | What is the Society of Decision Professionals (SDP)?

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 9 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000

"At the heart of a company is the quality of its decisions. And it's rare that leadership programs teach you how to be a better decision maker." — SDP Conference Attendee

Whether you're a CEO making strategic decisions, a data scientist analyzing choices, or someone navigating personal decisions, the field of decision-making offers structured approaches that can be scaled up or down for any situation.

S5E5 | What is SDP?

This episode takes listeners inside the world of professional decision-making through Michelle's firsthand exploration of the Society of Decision Professionals conference. Through interviews with members, Michelle uncovers how this diverse community approaches decision quality and why structured decision-making frameworks matter across all contexts.

Introduction
What is SDP?
Types of Programming and Engagement
The Diverse SDP Community
Decision Quality in Practice
Cross-Industry Learning
The Future of Decision Professionals
Who Should Join SDP
Conclusion

Introduction

Michelle introduces this special episode recorded at the Society of Decision Professionals annual conference, explaining her curiosity about this unique community of decision-makers. She sets the stage for exploring how professionals from vastly different industries come together around the common goal of improving decision quality.

What is SDP?

Lindsay Oyola, SDP's President-Elect traveling from Rio de Janeiro, explains that SDP brings together people from all different industries—consultants, vendors, corporate employees, government workers, and wildlife societies—united by their focus on helping make better decisions.

"What brings it all together is that they're all helping practice how we make better decisions in all of the big decisions that we need to make," Lindsay explains. The society serves as a place where members can discuss decision-making techniques and share approaches across diverse contexts.

Types of Programming and Engagement

Lindsay outlines SDP's various offerings:

Annual Conference: Three days of sessions ranging from deep mathematical approaches to behavioral and emotional aspects of decision-making, featuring true experts and practitioners.

Monthly Webinars: Global learning opportunities about new ideas and developments in the field.

Mentoring Programs: Past offerings that connected experienced practitioners with newcomers.

Global Chapters: Local meetings (monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly) with speakers and activities that build community.

The Diverse SDP Community

The SDP community spans a remarkable range of expertise and experience levels. Members include:

Advanced practitioners with 40+ years of experience
Professors who also consult
Game theory specialists working with governments and companies
Corporate decision-makers handling investment and capital decisions
Natural resource managers working with fish and wildlife
Data scientists and analysts (even those whose titles don't reflect decision work)

Lindsay emphasizes that whether you're a decision-maker or someone helping organizations use information to make decisions, SDP offers valuable learning opportunities.

Decision Quality in Practice

A conference attendee shares insights about decision quality as a structured yet flexible approach. "It's a structured way, but you can actually downsize it or upsize it whichever way you want," they explain, noting how the same principles apply whether counseling a daughter on course selection or facilitating strategic business decisions.

The approach exposes practitioners to diverse concepts including psychology (Kahneman and Tversky's work), mathematics, uncertainty analysis, and emerging technologies like AI. This interdisciplinary nature makes it difficult to box the field into any single category.

Cross-Industry Learning

Members highlight the unique networking opportunities that extend far beyond typical industry conferences. The community includes professionals from:

Pharmaceutical companies dealing with uncertainty
Government agencies
Energy sector (a major contributor to decision quality practices)
Water management and natural resources
Academia and software development
Leadership and coaching

"You get to meet like deep thinkers, professors from different universities that are either teaching decision quality or have had applications of it into software," one member notes. This cross-pollination of ideas makes attendees valuable contributors in their own work contexts.

The Future of Decision Professionals

An SDP leader expresses gratitude for the community's passion toward improving decision quality and excitement about expanding the field. Recent years have seen SDP broaden its umbrella to include more disciplines that support decision-making, integrating methods across fields with the goal of improving both quality and efficiency.

The integration of data science and AI into conferences, talks, and workshops represents a significant opportunity to reach more audiences and help more decisions be made with high quality. This expansion recognizes that achieving the field's potential requires more than just traditional decision professionals.

Who Should Join SDP

Multiple members emphasize that SDP welcomes anyone interested in decision-making, particularly those who:

Feel their current choices aren't getting them where they need to go
Experience anxiety about decisions
Want to stop second-guessing themselves
Desire greater control over their future

The society offers standards and structured approaches that can be freeing for anyone wanting to step up to leading their own lives. As one member shares through an artist's story, learning decision-making principles can be transformative for people in any field.

Conclusion

Michelle wraps up by reflecting on the diverse and welcoming nature of the SDP community, highlighting how decision-making serves as a universal skill that transcends industry boundaries. The episode demonstrates how structured approaches to decision-making can benefit anyone, from corporate executives to artists seeking greater control over their creative and personal choices.

Key Takeaways

Universal Application: Decision-making frameworks can be scaled for any situation, from personal choices to strategic business decisions
Cross-Industry Value: Learning from practitioners in different fields expands thinking beyond traditional boundaries
Community Support: SDP provides both deep learning opportunities and meaningful professional relationships
Structured Freedom: Having frameworks for decision-making can be liberating rather than constraining
Interdisciplinary Approach: The field draws from psychology, mathematics, technology, and other disciplines
Future-Focused: Integration with AI and data science is expanding the field's reach and impact

Mentioned in the Podcast

Society of Decision Professionals (SDP)
Decision Quality framework
Kahneman and Tversky's work in psychology
AI and generative AI applications in decision-making

About Michelle Florendo

Michelle Florendo is a Stanford-trained decision engineer and executive coach who is on a mission to teach people how to make decisions with less stress and more clarity. Over the past decade, she has coached and taught hundreds of leaders across tech, healthcare, and financial services, in organizations ranging from pre-IPO startups to major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Salesforce.

She's been an adjunct lecturer at Stanford, helps train coaches as a faculty coach for Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, and hosts the podcast, Ask A Decision Engineer. She earned her engineering degree from Stanford and her MBA from UC Berkeley.

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S6E05 | Who else benefits from Decision Science?

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 2 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000

"On some level everybody should learn this stuff. When you think about the fundamental principles underlying this, like ideas like that decisions and outcomes are not the same thing... those are things that could benefit everybody." — Jordan Stephens

From boardrooms to family dinner tables, decisions shape every aspect of our lives. Yet formal decision-making education remains surprisingly rare. In this thought-provoking episode, Michelle explores who stands to benefit most from learning structured approaches to decision-making, revealing that the answer might be simpler than expected: everyone.

S6E5 | Who else benefits from Decision Science?

Drawing from conversations with decision science practitioners across diverse industries and backgrounds, this episode examines the universal need for better decision-making skills. Guests share compelling examples of how decision science principles can transform everything from corporate strategy to personal relationships, highlighting the human side of analytical thinking.

Table of Contents

Introduction [00:00:00]
Executive Leadership and Decision Quality [00:01:32]
Organizational Applications and Better Conversations [00:03:03]
Clearing the Chaos in Decision Making [00:05:20]
The Human Side of Analytical Thinking [00:07:20]
From Resistance to Revelation [00:08:47]
Personal Applications Beyond Work [00:11:14]
Universal Education and Life Philosophy [00:13:22]

Introduction [00:00:00]

Michelle opens by posing a question that cuts to the heart of decision science education: who really needs these skills? Jordan Stephens immediately responds with a compelling perspective—that the fundamental principles underlying decision science could benefit everyone. The distinction between decisions and outcomes, approaches to uncertainty, and the value of considering alternatives represent concepts with universal applicability.

This sets the stage for an exploration that moves beyond traditional corporate applications to examine how decision-making skills can enhance every aspect of human experience.

Executive Leadership and Decision Quality [00:01:32]

Akeem Bacchus highlights a critical gap in executive decision-making: the tendency to accept implicit problem framing without question. He advocates for C-suites and executive boards to embrace the philosophy that decision quality is separate from outcome quality, emphasizing the importance of proper problem framing.

In his "fantasy world," better decision processes would lead to higher quality decisions by moving beyond the first alternatives that come to mind. This requires structured processes that balance diligence with efficiency—avoiding both hasty choices and analysis paralysis.

Organizational Applications and Better Conversations [00:03:03]

Walter Kosi shares insights on how decision science can transform organizational conversations. He identifies common decision traps like "plunging into a decision" or considering only one alternative, explaining how simple framing tools can bring people together for more complete discussions.

The structured approach creates more inclusive environments where all issues are considered and stakeholders feel heard. This transformation from chaotic decision-making to organized, collaborative processes represents one of decision science's most valuable organizational contributions.

Clearing the Chaos in Decision Making [00:05:20]

Eva Roa brings a data science perspective to the conversation, emphasizing that anyone who influences or makes decisions within organizations—essentially everyone—can benefit from these skills. She highlights how decision-making in organizations is "extremely chaotic" and how structured approaches can provide much-needed sharpness and effectiveness.

Using the example of defining metrics like revenue, Eva illustrates how lack of alignment on basic definitions can derail entire decision processes. Decision science provides tools for ensuring people are literally talking about the same thing before attempting to make choices together.

The Human Side of Analytical Thinking [00:07:20]

Eva continues by explaining how decision science beautifully balances quantitative rigor with human considerations. For professionals coming from purely analytical backgrounds, this field provides tools and language for approaching qualitative aspects that are essential for getting decisions implemented.

This integration of analytical thinking with human factors addresses a critical gap in many technical fields, where data skills alone are insufficient for effective decision-making in organizational contexts.

From Resistance to Revelation [00:08:47]

Tyler Ludlow shares candid observations about teaching decision science in corporate environments. Initial reactions often resemble "deer in the headlights," with people viewing structured approaches as excessive talking rather than decisive action.

However, he notes that resistance typically transforms into enthusiasm once people experience the process. The key lies in creating "aha moments"—flashes of clarity about problem definition, new alternatives, or uncertainty management that unlock better decisions.

Personal Applications Beyond Work [00:11:14]

Lindsay Oyola expands the conversation beyond workplace applications, emphasizing how decision-making skills transform personal relationships and life choices. From vacation planning to major life transitions, structured thinking helps people move from avoidance and discomfort to confidence and satisfaction with their choices.

The process of understanding personal values and trade-offs proves particularly valuable, helping people feel good about their decisions rather than constantly second-guessing themselves. This emotional benefit—feeling done and satisfied with choices—represents a significant quality-of-life improvement.

Universal Education and Life Philosophy [00:13:22]

Reidar Bratvold concludes with perhaps the most expansive vision: decision science as compulsory education from kindergarten through university. He argues that since every decision concerns an uncertain future, learning to think clearly about uncertainty should be fundamental education.

Combining logical thinking with emotional awareness, decision science offers what Reidar describes as "a life philosophy." His experience teaching these concepts to his children demonstrates their universal applicability and lasting impact.

Key Takeaways

The fundamental principles of decision science—like separating decisions from outcomes—have universal applicability
Executive teams would benefit enormously from embracing structured decision processes and proper problem framing
Decision science creates more inclusive organizational conversations by ensuring complete consideration of issues
The field uniquely balances analytical rigor with human factors, making it valuable for both technical and non-technical professionals
Initial resistance to structured approaches typically transforms into enthusiasm once people experience the clarity these methods provide
Personal applications extend far beyond work, improving everything from relationships to major life transitions
Decision science could be viewed as fundamental education, similar to math or reading, given that everyone makes decisions about an uncertain future

Mentioned in the Podcast

Society of Decision Professionals

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S6E04 | How is Decision Science applied? (Part 2: Power Skills)

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:15:00 +0000

"I tend to be more quantitative, just that's the way I'm wired. And one of the things that I'm seeing and I've learned through the years is that the qualitative side, the so-called soft skills, or as Audrey calls them power skills... honestly… I think they're more important than a lot of the quantitative and statistical skills." – Tony Kenck

While decision analysis is often viewed through a technical lens, there's another equally important dimension: the human side. This episode explores how decision frameworks create space for better collaboration, more inclusive conversations, and greater confidence in our choices.

Introduction: Beyond the Technical [00:00:00]
Freedom from Perfectionism [00:03:13]
Creating Inclusive Decision Spaces [00:06:18]
Awakening to Biases [00:09:21]
Making Tools Feel Natural [00:10:26]
Including All Voices [00:13:10]
The Challenge of Engagement [00:17.25]
Navigating Multiple Stakeholders [00:18:44]
Conclusion: Decision Making as Life Skills [00:21:17]

Introduction: Beyond the Technical [00:00:00]

Michelle opens by highlighting a key insight from Tony Kenck: while decision analysis has technical roots, the "power skills" - the human elements - may actually be more valuable than the quantitative expertise. This episode explores how decision frameworks help people work together better, communicate more clearly, and navigate the messy realities of making decisions as humans, not robots.

Tony explains that decision science applies "not just in business, but in personal life. It's about giving some thought... almost like a little bit of a checklist just before you make a really important decision." He notes that in the Society of Decision Professionals' framework for decision quality, "five of the six elements are on the soft skill side."

Freedom from Perfectionism [00:03:13]

Andrew Thrift shares one of the most profound personal benefits of learning decision science: freedom from the need to optimize everything perfectly. As someone who tends toward perfectionism, Andrew discovered that structured decision-making gave him permission to move forward when "good enough" was truly enough.

"One of the benefits... I'm an optimizer and lean perfectionist by nature. So my tendency would be I've got these options and I make the right choice," Andrew explains. The frameworks taught him the crucial distinction between decision quality and outcome quality: "when I know I've met the criteria for decision quality and something bad happens, it's like nothing I could have done about it."

This realization was "really freeing" - providing peace of mind and the confidence to defend decisions regardless of outcomes influenced by factors beyond his control.

Creating Inclusive Decision Spaces [00:06:18]

Andrew also highlights how structured processes naturally create more inclusive environments. The frameworks are "designed to mitigate" biases and ensure diverse voices are heard. In practice, this means thinking broadly about stakeholders: "It's not just the traditional economic metrics in a for-profit organization. It's also about the social and environmental reputational things."

The process actively empowers voices that might otherwise be marginalized. Andrew describes a typical facilitation approach: giving everyone time to write down ideas individually, then going around the room to hear from each person because "you're here because you know something no one else in the room does."

This isn't just about who's physically present - it requires "very clear overt signals that you're going to challenge or set aside traditional power dynamics" and create space where diverse perspectives can truly be heard.

Awakening to Biases [00:09:21]

Walter Cosi describes a profound shift that happens when you learn about decision science: becoming sensitized to biases everywhere. "I got very sensitive to biases," he explains. "The more I do it... the more I see how biases work. So it really jumps to my eye."

Michelle notes this is like "once you saw it, you couldn't unsee it" - a awakening that fundamentally changes how you observe decision-making in yourself and others. This heightened awareness becomes a powerful tool for improving decision quality across all areas of life.

Making Tools Feel Natural [00:10:26]

Audrey Del Vescovo offers wisdom on introducing decision frameworks without overwhelming people. Her approach is to "practice it with them" conversationally, so "people can go through it and actually get clarity at the end of it and not even know they're going through a structured process."

Rather than announcing formal procedures, Audrey frames it as "a mindset... a roadmap of how we're gonna tackle things." She emphasizes flexibility: "If something isn't working, I will change it" and encourages teams to speak up if adjustments are needed.

The key challenge is avoiding the trap of turning these flexible tools into rigid checklists, which "takes the whole flexible, iterative approach to our craft... out the door because now you've checked your brain out at the door and you're just checking boxes."

Including All Voices [00:13:10]

Lee Failing works at the intersection of technical expertise and community involvement, focusing on decisions involving natural resources where "multiple stakeholders have really diverse values, and they're usually in some level of conflict."

Her philosophy is powerful: "people need to be involved in the decisions that affect their lives, whether they're technically savvy or not." She focuses on the "upfront stages of decision making" - clarifying what decision is being made and "really digging into the values underlying the decision."

The key is separating technical analysis from value judgments: "People who don't have technical expertise still have a right to have a say in their decisions." When teaching these skills to young people, teachers report three major impacts: increased agency, better frameworks for thinking through complex issues, and improved skills for collaborating with people they disagree with.

The Challenge of Engagement [00:17:25]

Samantha Rush studies a critical challenge: even the best techniques fail if people won't participate. "One of the biggest problems that we have is silence or group think," she explains. "Acceptability is a key concept that actually drives effectiveness. So if people don't want to participate in the process... you're not gonna get it."

Her research focuses on understanding "what's the who, when, what, why, and how that drives acceptability" of decision tools, recognizing that engagement is essential for quality outcomes.

Navigating Multiple Stakeholders [00:18:44]

Reidar Bratvold addresses perhaps the most complex scenario: multiple decision makers with different value systems. He distinguishes between stakeholders (who are affected) and decision makers (who have authority), noting that many public policy decisions involve "multiple stakeholders, different political parties... having very different value systems."

His key insight about working across different values: "People have different value systems. And they should be allowed to have different value systems... I should never say your value system is a bad one." However, "given your value system and your alternatives, I don't think you're making the optimal choice" is a legitimate conversation about decision quality within someone's own framework.

Conclusion: Decision Making as Life Skills [00:21:17]

Michelle concludes that decision analysis "isn't really about complex formulas or technical expertise. It's about thinking more clearly and including more voices." The stories shared demonstrate that "good decision making is fundamentally human."

While tools and frameworks matter, "what matters more is the mindset: being thoughtful about what we value, curious about different perspectives and humble about what we don't know. These aren't just professional skills, they're life skills that can help all of us navigate an uncertain world with more confidence and compassion."

Key Takeaways

The "power skills" - human elements of decision-making - may be more valuable than technical expertise
Structured processes provide freedom from perfectionism by clarifying when "good enough" is truly enough
Decision frameworks naturally create more inclusive environments and amplify diverse voices
Learning about biases creates a heightened awareness that improves decision quality across all areas
Successful implementation requires making tools feel natural rather than rigid or procedural
People without technical expertise deserve a voice in decisions that affect their lives
Engagement and acceptability are crucial - the best techniques fail if people won't participate
Multiple stakeholders can work together when we respect different value systems while discussing decision quality within each framework

Mentioned in the Podcast

Society of Decision Professionals

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S6E03 | How and where is Decision Science applied?

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:34:12 +0000

"It's so fascinating to watch people struggle and struggle and struggle. And then you can come along with some simple tools to say, Hey, have you thought about this? Did you think of framing it this way? I've got a couple of little tricks in my large bag of tips and tricks that you can try and sometimes the magic happens and what looked like an impossibly complex decision simplifies, and then doing the right thing becomes obvious." — Basil Stumborg

This episode showcases the real-world impact of decision analysis across diverse industries and applications, demonstrating how structured thinking tools help cut through complexity when there's no single "right" answer. Whether managing hundreds of product launches or navigating high-stakes drug development decisions, these frameworks provide clarity in the face of competing objectives and uncertain outcomes.

Introduction
BC Hydro: Complex Utility Decisions with Basil Stumborg
Pharmaceutical Industry Applications with Eyas Raddad
Consumer Goods vs. Pharma: Volume vs. High Stakes with Tyler Ludlow
Portfolio Theory Applications with Tony Kenck
Innovation and Conflict Resolution with David Matheson
Mining Operations: Managing Spider Web Effects with Andrew Thrift
Conclusion: Universal Applications

Introduction

Michelle opens this episode featuring voices from the Society of Decision Professionals, exploring how decision analysis tools are applied across various industries. From energy and pharmaceuticals to consumer products and natural resources, listeners will discover the versatility of structured decision-making approaches in tackling both large-scale strategic decisions and day-to-day operational challenges.

This season was made possible in partnership with the Society of Decision Professionals, showcasing the breadth of applications for decision science in the real world.

BC Hydro: Complex Utility Decisions with Basil Stumborg

Basil Stumborg, decision analysis expert at BC Hydro (British Columbia's provincial electric utility), describes his role as helping executives navigate complex decisions where there's no single right answer. These decisions involve competing values and trade-offs that extend beyond financial considerations to include environmental impacts, indigenous rights, and economic development.

"My job is to help frame those up so the executive clearly sees what the trade-offs are, and then they can bring the corporation's values to bear when thinking about what the best option is," Basil explains.

His enthusiasm for the work comes from witnessing transformation moments when complex decisions suddenly become clear through simple frameworks and tools. This illustrates a key application area: decisions involving multiple stakeholders and objectives beyond just the bottom line.

Pharmaceutical Industry Applications with Eyas Raddad

Eyas Raddad explains why decision analysis is particularly valuable in pharmaceutical development, where decisions must balance competing objectives with long feedback loops and high regulatory stakes. In drug development, teams face critical decisions about dose selection, balancing safety and efficacy, and go/no-go choices for expensive molecular projects.

Key pharmaceutical applications include:

Balancing trade-offs like safety and efficacy
Portfolio prioritization across multiple projects
Strategic decisions about therapeutic areas and indications
Managing linked decisions across related development programs

The pharmaceutical industry exemplifies how decision analysis helps when huge decisions aren't easily reversible and stakes are high, with both billions of dollars and lives on the line.

Consumer Goods vs. Pharma: Many Small Wins vs. One Critical Decision with Tyler Ludlow

Tyler Ludlow contrasts his experience applying decision analysis in consumer packaged goods versus pharmaceuticals, highlighting two different strategic approaches:

Consumer Goods (Unilever): Managing hundreds of product launches annually with the philosophy that making each individual decision better leads to overall competitive advantage. The focus is on incremental improvements across high-volume decisions.

Pharmaceuticals (Lilly): Targeting one highly successful launch per year with dramatically high rewards (several billion dollars annually). The challenge involves balancing cost, time, risk, and reward across a portfolio where current decisions enable or preclude future investment options.

This contrast demonstrates how decision analysis adapts to different industry contexts and risk profiles.

Portfolio Theory Applications with Tony Kenck

Tony Kenck explains portfolio theory's evolution from Harry Markowitz's Nobel Prize-winning work in finance to applications across diverse fields. Portfolio theory fundamentally seeks to achieve the highest return with the least risk, whether in financial investments or broader business contexts.

Applications span multiple industries:

Finance: Investment advisory and asset allocation
Pharmaceuticals and Oil & Gas: Managing exploration and development portfolios
Sports: The "Moneyball" approach to baseball team composition
Public Policy: Copenhagen Consensus approach to global challenges

The key insight is that portfolio analysis applies wherever you want to "get more for less" - maximizing benefit while minimizing cost across various measurement dimensions.

Innovation and Conflict Resolution with David Matheson

David Matheson emphasizes the dual nature of decision analysis applications: quantitative analysis combined with social conflict resolution. His work focuses on innovation and portfolio management, helping organizations move from "weird and wacky" ideas to serious business opportunities.

He highlights that while the field is known for analytical rigor, successful application often requires managing the people side of decisions, particularly when dealing with competing priorities and stakeholder conflicts.

Mining Operations: Managing Interdependencies with Andrew Thrift

Andrew Thrift describes how mining operations create complex "spider web" effects where engineering decisions reverberate across environmental, social, and regulatory dimensions. Traditional cost-and-schedule thinking proves inadequate when decisions involve:

Regional water quality issues
Indigenous participation requirements
Local government relations
Transboundary environmental concerns

Decision analysis provides tools to integrate these diverse considerations, helping teams move beyond familiar quantitative metrics to consider broader impacts. The approach works for both large-scale strategic challenges and smaller operational problems that benefit from structured thinking.

Conclusion: Universal Applications

This episode demonstrates that decision analysis applications extend far beyond any single industry or decision type. Whether managing utility trade-offs, pharmaceutical portfolios, consumer product launches, or mining operations, structured decision-making frameworks help organizations navigate complexity when there's no single "right" answer.

The common thread across all applications is the need to balance competing objectives, manage uncertainty, and make decisions that align with organizational values while considering multiple stakeholder impacts.

Key Takeaways

Decision analysis provides value wherever complex decisions involve competing objectives beyond just financial returns
Different industries require adapted approaches: high-volume incremental improvements vs. high-stakes individual decisions
Portfolio theory applications extend from finance to sports, entertainment, and public policy
Successful implementation combines quantitative analysis with social and conflict resolution skills
The "spider web effect" - where decisions create ripple effects across multiple dimensions - appears in many organizational contexts
Simple frameworks can transform seemingly impossible decisions into clear choices

Mentioned in the Podcast

Society of Decision Professionals
BC Hydro (British Columbia's provincial electric utility)
Tony Kenck’s book, Strategic Business Portfolio Management (purchase in the US/UK) (purchase outside the US/UK)
Harry Markowitz's portfolio theory
Moneyball (baseball analytics)
Copenhagen Consensus (Bjorn Lomborg)

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S6E02 | What is Decision Engineering? Exploring the Many Names of Decision Science

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000

This season was made possible in partnership with the Society of Decision Professionals.
__________

In this episode of Ask a Decision Engineer, Michelle Florendo takes listeners inside the Society of Decision Professionals conference to explore a fascinating question: What do you call the field that helps people make better decisions? Through conversations with practitioners from around the world, Michelle uncovers the many names this discipline goes by—decision analysis, decision science, decision quality, structured decision making—and why the terminology matters. From pharmaceutical companies to natural resources management, these professionals share their perspectives on a field that's been quietly improving decision-making for decades.

"Regardless of what you call it, we all cared about supporting a great decision every time." — Michelle Florendo

When Michelle introduces herself as a decision engineer, many people think it's something she made up. It's not—it's a field she studied at Stanford. But this fascinating discipline goes by many names, each highlighting different aspects of how professionals help people make better choices in work and life.

In this episode, Michelle brings listeners inside the world of decision professionals, introducing the people who've been working in this "hidden field" that's been quietly improving decision-making for decades. Through candid conversations at a professional conference, she explores why terminology matters and how different names reflect the diverse applications of this discipline.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Hidden Field [00:00:00]

What Is Decision Science? A Simple Explanation [01:47:00]

The Many Names of the Field [02:51:00]

Normative vs. Descriptive Decision Science [03:32:00]

The Historical Foundations [05:12:00]

Why Terminology Matters in Practice [10:22:00]

Serving People Over Labels [12:04:00]

Conclusion: What Would You Call It? [13:42:00]

Michelle opens by addressing a common misconception: when she introduces herself as a decision engineer, many people assume she invented the title. She clarifies that decision engineering was the actual name of her track of study at Stanford, part of a broader discipline that goes by many names—decision analysis, decision science, decision quality—each highlighting different aspects of helping people make better choices.

The episode takes listeners inside the Society of Decision Professionals conference, where Michelle interviews practitioners from around the world to explore this fascinating question: What do you call this field? She emphasizes that regardless of the name, all these professionals share a common goal: "supporting a great decision every time."

What Is Decision Science? A Simple Explanation [00:03:00]

Michelle introduces Andrew Thrift, one of the conference organizers, who offers a refreshingly accessible explanation of what decision science is all about. Andrew describes how most people don't realize there's an entire field dedicated to decision-making, and he shares some of his favorite ways to explain it.

"It's something where we meld kind of a logical, rational way to make decisions with everything we've learned from psychology about how we actually make decisions," Andrew explains. He emphasizes that the field puts these together with tools and mindset thinking processes that help people make better decisions at any scale and context.

Andrew notes that he often describes it as "common sense, not commonly applied" and emphasizes that it's "robust, empirically supported." Sometimes he simply calls it "a structured approach to decision making," telling people, "you already do this, we're just gonna give you a few more tools."

The Many Names of the Field [00:07:00]

Andrew reveals that the terminology challenge is so common that he literally has a slide in his presentations titled "You may have heard it by all these names." The various terms Michelle heard from various practitioners at the conference include:

Structured decision making
Decision analysis
Decision quality
Decision science
Decision intelligence
Decision design
Portfolio theory

Andrew notes that different parts of companies often use different names, and his organization has "landed on decision quality as the one to choose," though the confusion persists across the field.

Normative vs. Descriptive Decision Science [00:11:00]

Michelle interviews Eyas Raddad from Indianapolis, who discovered decision science through real-world challenges at Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company. Eyas provides an important academic distinction between different areas of the field.

"I look at decision analysis as the normative part of decision science," Eyas explains, "meaning how we should make decisions—approaches, processes, tools, and methods that have been proven to improve the quality of decision making." This includes elements like proper framing, alternative generation, and relevant information gathering.

"But decision science goes beyond that to also attend to aspects of how humans make decisions—the descriptive side," he continues. This descriptive aspect remains important for decision analysts because they need to guard against human biases that "seep into the decision making process." Decision analysis tries to structure processes to make them "more immune to those biases."

The Historical Foundations [00:15:00]

Professor Reidar Bratvold from Stavanger, Norway, provides historical context for the field. As a professor of decision analysis who teaches and supports decision tools including AI and machine learning, he offers a unique perspective on the methodology's evolution.

"This discipline has been around for 300 years," Bratvold explains, tracing it back to Bernoulli and Laplace. However, it wasn't practically implementable until the mid-to-late 1960s when RonHoward at Stanford and Howard Raiffa at Harvard created modern decision analysis.

"Despite the fact that both Howard and Raiffa were professors, they created decision analysis as a methodology and way of thinking that's been created by practitioners for practitioners," he notes. "There's nothing super deep or very hard to do theoretically. Sometimes people ask me to present the theory of decision analysis. I said, there is no theory. There is a foundational set of rules, some axioms we need to follow, but it's not theory per se—it's something you do when you deal with practical decision contexts."

Bratvold also discusses how AI and machine learning can support decision-making by helping overcome cognitive limitations. He notes that research shows people tend to be "myopic" when thinking about objectives and alternatives, and AI can help prompt more comprehensive thinking while still leaving the final decision to the human decision-maker.

Why Terminology Matters in Practice [00:22:00]

Audrey Del Vescovo from Melbourne, Australia, a long-term member of the Society of Decision Professionals since its inception, shares her perspective on why certain labels can be limiting in practice.

"Some people call it decision analysis. I personally don't like that because it seems to connote a real emphasis on the quantitative number crunching," Audrey explains. She warns that this can have the "unintended consequence" of people in companies thinking "you are the number cruncher and that's it."

"DA—even though they call it DA—decision analysis is so much more than that," she emphasizes. "It's everything from framing all the way through to doing the numbers, getting the insights, and telling a story to decision makers. Sometimes you don't even have to get to the numbers side. You can actually make well-informed decisions after just thinking about them and framing them up."

Audrey prefers the term "decision science" because it acknowledges the intersection with psychology and organizational behavior, bringing in "soft or power skills along with the quantitative ones." She advocates for staying away from the "analysis" part to make terminology "more encompassing because it is a very encompassing field."

Serving People Over Labels [00:27:00]

David Matheson provides a thoughtful conclusion about the importance of focusing on service rather than terminology. When asked what he would call the field, he responds: "I think decision professionals is pretty good. It's people who are committed to a professional standard in decision making and who care about how they make choices in the world."

However, he emphasizes that "you have to ask who's doing the listening, because people don't frame the world in terms of decisions." His approach is service-first: "What can I do for you? Where are you stuck in some kind of process? And then it's really up to me to understand the decision structure and help you move forward."

"I want to communicate that in terms of the impact it has on you rather than drag you into my field," David explains. "Instead of making you recite the decision analysis or decision quality vocabulary, it's like, first let me be of service. And then if you ask me more questions, I'm happy to tell you."

Conclusion: What Would You Call It? [00:31:00]

Michelle reflects on David's wisdom, noting that every person she met at the conference shows up because they want to be of service. She explains that this service orientation is partly why she introduces herself as a decision engineer—while she does have an engineering background and it was her concentration at Stanford, "most importantly, when I introduce myself that way, it opens up conversations."

"People do ask questions, and I am more than happy to tell people about these things that I've learned and the ways that I've found it can help others," she explains.

Michelle closes by posing a question to listeners: "If you could name this field in a way that would intrigue people and get people to want to learn more about it, what would you call it?" She invites responses via email and teases upcoming episodes that will dig deeper into how these professionals use the field across various industries and use cases.

Key Takeaways

The field of decision-making improvement goes by many names, reflecting its diverse applications and theoretical foundations.
Decision science encompasses both normative aspects (how we should make decisions) and descriptive aspects (how humans actually make decisions).
The field has 300-year-old theoretical roots but became practically implementable in the 1960s through the work of Ron Howard and Howard Raiffa.
Terminology matters in professional settings—some labels can limit perception of the field's comprehensive scope.
The most important aspect isn't what you call the field, but how you serve people facing difficult decisions.
Modern tools like AI and machine learning can support decision-making while still preserving human decision-making authority.

Mentioned in the Podcast

Society of Decision Professionals
Ron Howard and Howard Raiffa’s foundational work in decision analysis
Bernoulli and Laplace (historical foundations)

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S6E01 | Who did I meet at the Society of Decision Professionals Conference

Wed, 4 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000

This season was made possible in partnership with the Society of Decision Professionals.
__________

In this mini episode of Ask a Decision Engineer, Michelle Florendo takes listeners behind the scenes of the 2025 Society of Decision Professionals Annual Conference in Vancouver. After years of virtual participation, Michelle finally attended in person and was amazed by the diversity of attendees who traveled from around the world to connect and learn about decision-making. From data scientists to graduate students to organizational culture experts, she interviews first-time attendees to understand what drew them to this "hidden gem" of a conference and what they hope to gain from the decision-making field.

"It's as if this is some best kept secret that the people in this space don't actually want to keep a secret." — Michelle Florendo

Many people don't realize there's an entire field dedicated to decision-making, complete with professionals, conferences, and academic research. In this episode, Michelle opens the door to this world by sharing voices from the 2025 Society of Decision Professionals Conference, revealing how diverse professionals from different industries and backgrounds are all united by their interest in making better decisions.

Introduction: A Hidden World of Decision Professionals [00:00:00]
Discovering the Society of Decision Professionals [01:58:00]
Global Diversity at the Conference [02:48:00]
First-Time Attendees: Kelly Jane Fisher [02:53:00]
From Data Analysis to Decision Science: Akeem Bacchus [05:29:00]
Data Scientists Discovering Frameworks: Eva [06:38:00]
The People Side of Decisions: Samantha Rush [08:36:00]
Company Practitioners: Walter from Austria [10:01:00]
A Welcoming Community [10:53:00]
Looking Ahead [11:19:00]

Introduction: A Hidden World of Decision Professionals [00:00:00]

Michelle opens by describing her intense travel week attending three conferences, including the Society of Decision Professionals conference in Vancouver. When she mentioned the conference to people in New York, their reactions revealed a common theme: most people don't realize there's an entire field and professional society dedicated to decision-making.

"When people first meet me and learn about the work I do in decision making, most don't realize that there's an entire field dedicated to decision making and an entire group of professionals dedicated to this space," Michelle explains. She describes this as "some best kept secret that the people in this space don't actually want to keep a secret."

This mini-episode series aims to give listeners a sneak peek into this world by sharing perspectives from the 2025 conference, answering questions about what the Society of Decision Professionals is, who attends, and what they discuss.

Discovering the Society of Decision Professionals [01:50:00]

Michelle credits Jeff Keisler, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston who teaches decision analysis, for introducing her to the Society of Decision Professionals (SDP). After discovering her podcast, he encouraged her to connect with the organization. While she attended virtually during the pandemic, 2025 marked her first in-person conference experience.

Global Diversity at the Conference [02:40:00]

Michelle was amazed by the diversity of attendees who traveled from around the world to participate. She interviewed people from:

Indianapolis, Colorado, Papua New Guinea, Houston
Vienna (Austria), Netherlands, Brisbane (Australia), Vancouver
Denver, New York, Lagos (Nigeria), Rio de Janeiro
Norway, San Francisco Bay Area

This global representation demonstrated the universal appeal and relevance of decision-making as a field of study and practice.

First-Time Attendees: Kelly Jane Fisher [02:45:00]

Kelly Jane Fisher, a graduate student at Colorado School of Mines traveling from Evergreen, Colorado, represents newcomers to the field. Her first exposure came through a Decision Analytics class with Patrick Leach, which led her to attend local chapter meetings before making the trip to Vancouver.

"I think it's just, it gives the ability to make decisions actually using data. Not just emotion," Kelly explains. "I've found a lot of work, previous industry experience, you often saw decisions made out of just pure emotion. And I really like that this uses numbers and really investigates other ways of making decisions."

From Data Analysis to Decision Science: Akeem Bacchus [00:10:00]

Akeem Bacchus traveled from Papua New Guinea after discovering the field through his work as a data analyst. Seeking to go beyond basic data visualization, he found the textbook "Making Hard Decisions" transformative.

"That was like, whoa, this is like, oh, this is how I would like to think," Akeem describes. His journey included completing the SDRM program and various online courses, with one modeling course being "the best course I've ever done, ever." He attended the conference to understand what professionals in the field are doing and to determine his next steps.

Data Scientists Discovering Frameworks: Eva [06:29:00]

Eva, a data scientist from a global tech company in New York, discovered the conference through Julia at the Joint Statistical Meeting. As someone focused on product analytics, she hadn't formally studied decision analysis but found the theoretical foundations enlightening.

"As you gain experience within an organization, you start to learn a lot about the things that don't work or do work within making decisions. And a lot of my approach so far has been heuristics, trying stuff," Eva explains. The conference provided her with "language and a field of study to help me do my job more effectively."

The People Side of Decisions: Samantha Rush [08:27:00]

Samantha Rush, an organizational culture expert from Brisbane, Australia, represents the human side of decision-making. Nearly finished with her PhD, she attended to share research findings and strengthen her work through discussions with the diverse cohort.

Her presence demonstrates that decision-making isn't just about technical data capabilities—it's equally about understanding people and organizational dynamics.

Company Practitioners: Walter from Austria [09:53:00]

Walter from Vienna represents practitioners who have been applying decision science techniques within their companies. After years of trying to attend SDP conferences, he finally made it to Vancouver, driven by his excitement about "the science of decision making."

"There is so much to learn and there is so much out there, and I would like to learn more and improve my skills," Walter shares. He's particularly interested in learning about decision quality approaches from other companies and professionals.

A Welcoming Community [10:44:00]

Michelle highlights the conference's welcoming atmosphere, including a special session for newcomers where they were paired with veterans of the field. She appreciated the friendliness of attendees, the diversity of backgrounds, and the overall excitement to learn and share knowledge.

Looking Ahead [11:11:00]

Michelle previews the next episode, which will feature veterans of the field discussing what decision-making is all about and addressing the question of terminology—whether it's called decision engineering, decision analysis, decision science, or something else entirely.

Key Takeaways

There's an entire professional field dedicated to decision-making, complete with conferences, research, and practitioners
The Society of Decision Professionals attracts diverse attendees from around the world across various industries and roles
People discover the field through different paths: academic courses, textbooks, professional development, and word-of-mouth
The field combines technical data analysis with human factors and organizational dynamics
Both newcomers and experienced practitioners find value in connecting with the decision-making community
The conference serves as a welcoming entry point into this "hidden gem" of a professional field

Mentioned in the Podcast

Society of Decision Professionals
Society of Decision Professionals Local Chapters
SDRM Program at University of Texas

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Season 6 Trailer

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 28 May 2025 13:00:00 +0000

I told someone I'd just flown in from a Decision Professionals conference.

Their response? "A Society of WHAT?"

Most people have no idea there's an entire field dedicated to decision-making.

It's like this best-kept secret that no one wants to keep secret.

At the conference in Vancouver, I met fascinating people who traveled from around the world:

→ A data analyst from Papua New Guinea seeking better frameworks

→ A graduate student from Colorado who discovered decision analytics

→ A data scientist from New York finding academic backing for her intuitive methods

→ Experienced decision professionals from Austria, Nigeria, Australia, and Brazil

All united by one mission: helping people make better decisions.

Some call it decision analysis. Others say decision science. Some prefer decision quality.

But regardless of the name, they're all committed to supporting great decisions, every time.

I'm taking you behind the scenes of this hidden world. You'll hear from professionals who use decision science in healthcare, business, and government - and discover the frameworks that could transform how you approach your toughest choices.

Because here's what I learned: The tools exist. The expertise is out there. Most people just don't know where to find it.

What's one decision you're struggling with right now? There might be a framework for that.

Season 6 of Ask A Decision Engineer launches this June.

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S5E06 | The Relief-Regret Framework: Making Decisions Under Uncertainty

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 14:55:11 +0000

"So remember, there are three components to every single decision. There are your objectives. What is it that you want? There are the options. What are the different ways that you can achieve those things that you want? And then there's information like how do those different options deliver against the objectives you have?" — Michelle Florendo

Drawing from her background in decision analysis and teaching experience at Stanford, Michelle shares how this framework evolved from complex decision trees into a more accessible tool for everyday use. She explains how the framework helps people who worry about making decisions they might regret, offering a structured approach to thinking through uncertain outcomes.

S5E6 | The Relief-Regret Framework: Making Decisions Under Uncertainty

Through a personal example of managing multiple commitments during a busy period while fighting illness, Michelle demonstrates how to apply the Relief-Regret framework to real-world decisions. She walks listeners through the process of using this tool to evaluate options and make choices with greater confidence, even in the face of uncertainty.

Evolution of the Name [00:01:00]
When to Use Relief-Regret [00:02:00]
About Decision Trees [00:04:00]
Understanding Risk Components [00:06:00]
Origins of Relief-Regret [00:09:00]
A Real-World Example [00:11:00]
Framework Implementation [00:14:00]
Framework Evolution and Feedback [00:29:00]

Evolution of the Name [00:01:00]

Michelle begins by explaining how her framework has evolved through different iterations and names. What began as the "seven question shortcut analysis" became known informally as the "Happy Face, Sad Face Analysis" by her Stanford Continuing Studies students before its current iteration as the Relief-Regret framework.

"I'll admit, I'm still playing with what to call this thing. I've called it a number of different things over the years, and I'll admit that this framework is still evolving," Michelle explains, noting how the framework continues to develop through practical application.

The evolution of names reflects how different audiences have engaged with and understood the tool, from decision analysis students to coaching clients facing real-world decisions.

When to Use Relief-Regret [00:02:00]

The framework is specifically designed for decisions involving radical uncertainties - situations where outcomes cannot be known until they occur. Michelle emphasizes that this tool is particularly valuable when people express concerns about potential regret.

"And when they say something like, I don't want to make a decision that I'm going to regret. Because there's something there around, you are facing the type of decision where there are some what-ifs," Michelle explains.

She outlines the three core components present in every decision: objectives (what you want), options (ways to achieve what you want), and information (how options deliver against objectives). The Relief-Regret framework is most useful when dealing with radical uncertainties - situations where information won't be available until after decisions are made.

About Decision Trees [00:04:00]

Michelle introduces decision trees as the foundational concept that informed the Relief-Regret framework. She describes how decision trees help visualize choices and their potential outcomes through a branching format.

"Decision trees are really useful tools for visualizing. Remember, a lot of the work that I do is all about capturing often in a visual nature what is happening in our decisions or decision processes," Michelle explains.

Using her own example of deciding whether to try for pregnancy with health risks, she demonstrates how decision trees map out initial choices, uncertain outcomes, and subsequent decisions that might arise. However, she notes that teaching proper decision tree construction requires more time than is typically available in coaching sessions or workshops.

Understanding Risk Components [00:06:00]

When analyzing risk, Michelle emphasizes examining both what's at stake and the likelihood of various outcomes. She explains that risk assessment involves identifying the objectives that might not be achieved and understanding both the magnitude and probability of potential outcomes.

Risk has multiple components:

What is at risk (objectives that might not be achieved)
Magnitude (how significant the impact would be)
Likelihood (probability of different outcomes)

"Whenever you're thinking about risk, there are a few things going on. So one, it's useful to think about what is at risk, and it's usually, oh, I'm not going to achieve my objective," Michelle details.

Origins of Relief-Regret [00:09:00]

Michelle explains how she developed the Relief-Regret framework while collaborating with Stanford's Life Design Lab. She recognized that traditional decision-making tools like decision matrices weren't sufficient for decisions involving radical uncertainties.

The framework emerged from listening to common concerns in coaching sessions and workshops. Michelle notes how people frequently expressed worry about making decisions they might regret, signaling a need for a tool specifically designed to address uncertainty.

"One of the things that I kept hearing over and over and over again was, I don't want to make a decision that I'm going to regret," Michelle shares, explaining how this recurring concern shaped the framework's development.

A Real-World Example [00:11:00]

Michelle demonstrates the framework's application through a personal example involving multiple commitments at the end of October: a 20-year college reunion, completing Halloween costumes, attending a nephew's birthday party, and teaching responsibilities, all while feeling the onset of illness.

She describes her decision-making process: "I had to make a decision around how do I move through all of these things that are on my calendar throughout the end of this month... and then I was thinking like I don't want to risk getting really sick for the events that matter."

The example illustrates how phrases like "I don't want to risk" or concerns about regret can signal when to use the Relief-Regret framework.

Framework Implementation [00:14:00]

The Relief-Regret matrix consists of three columns and four rows, designed to make complex decision analysis more accessible.

Matrix Structure:

First Column: Row labels
- Relief
- Regret
- Response
- Reduce Risk
Second/Third Columns: Options being considered

Steps for Implementation:

Draw the matrix (3 columns, 4 rows)
Label rows (Relief, Regret, Response, Reduce Risk)
List options in column headers
Fill in relief scenarios for each option
Document potential regret scenarios
Plan responses to negative outcomes
Identify risk reduction strategies

"The way that this works is you draw a matrix on your piece of paper. So grab a piece of paper if you have a decision, and you're going to first start out by drawing three columns and four rows," Michelle instructs.

Framework Evolution and Feedback [00:29:00]

Michelle discusses how the framework continues to evolve through feedback from colleagues at the Life Design Lab. She shares how her colleagues have suggested expanding the emotional range of the framework beyond just relief and regret.

"Usually I work with people who do place a lot of focus on risk mitigation. They're trying to minimize the downside versus people who are looking to maximize the upside," Michelle explains, acknowledging potential areas for framework expansion.

She notes colleagues' suggestions about including broader emotional ranges: "Maybe there's ‘Rejoice’ on the upside as opposed to just ‘Relief.’ And then on the downside, not just ‘Regret,’ but ‘Remorse’ or what if, what if there's even ‘Reject.’"

Key Takeaways

The Relief-Regret framework helps navigate decisions involving uncertainty
Look for signals like "I don't want to risk" or concerns about regret to know when to use the framework
Consider both magnitude and likelihood when assessing risks
Map out relief scenarios, regret scenarios, responses, and risk reduction strategies
The framework is flexible and continues to evolve based on user feedback

Mentioned in the Podcast

For More Decision-Making Resources

Michelle’s Stanford Continuing Studies course
Check out Michelle’s self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S5E05 | Real Application to Big Life Decisions

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:44:49 +0000

“Risk has two components: magnitude—how big is the badness—and likelihood. A balanced view helps us make better decisions.” - Michelle Florendo

Michelle reflects on the value of tools like decision trees and introduces the Relief-Regret Matrix, a framework she developed to evaluate future scenarios. Through this candid conversation, Michelle illustrates how thoughtful processes and clear priorities can guide us through life’s most difficult decisions.

S5E5 | Real Application to Big Life Decisions

This episode offers actionable insights for balancing risk, agency, and values in decision-making, providing listeners with tools to approach their own challenges with clarity and confidence.

Introduction [00:00:00]
Setting the Stage: A Major Family Decision [00:01:00]
Decision-Making Frameworks in Practice [00:04:00]
Mapping Scenarios with a Decision Tree [00:08:00]
Introducing the Relief-Regret Matrix [00:13:00]
Risk, Agency, and Confidence in Decisions [00:18:00]
Reflecting on Outcomes and Process [00:22:00]

Introduction [00:00:00]

The episode opens with Michelle and Shanice discussing the intricacies of making significant decisions, especially those involving health and family. Shanice shares how listening to Michelle’s past episodes inspired her to think critically about her own decision-making processes.

Shanice reflects, “I really am struggling with some big decisions and your podcast has been really helpful.” This sets the stage for a deep dive into how decision-making frameworks can guide individuals through complex and high-stakes situations.

Michelle emphasizes that decision-making is as much about clarifying objectives as it is about navigating uncertainty. Tools and frameworks, she notes, are there to guide us—not dictate answers.

Setting the Stage: A Major Family Decision [00:01:00]

Michelle shares the context of a pivotal decision involving her chronic health condition and her family’s wish to have another child. Diagnosed with a condition requiring treatment incompatible with pregnancy, Michelle faced the challenge of balancing health risks with her family’s aspirations.

She explains how she and her husband had open, honest conversations about their shared goals and non-negotiables. While they both wanted to expand their family, her husband made it clear that it could not come at the cost of her safety. This collaborative approach laid the foundation for navigating such a complex choice.

“We wanted to have another child,” Michelle recounts, “but my husband made it very clear: trying to have another child would not be worth it if it put my life at risk.” The stakes of the decision pushed them to rely on structured frameworks and clear communication.

Decision-Making Frameworks in Practice [00:04:00]

Michelle introduces the core components of decision-making: objectives, options, and information. While she often refers to these as “wants, ways, and wisdom” in her teaching, she acknowledges this phrasing as a work in progress. This framework allowed her to break down a complex situation into manageable parts.

She emphasizes that her doctor’s role was to provide information, not dictate the decision. “The doctor wasn’t there to tell us what to do but to help us understand our options,” Michelle explains. This distinction highlights the importance of using experts as sources of wisdom while maintaining ownership of the decision.

By focusing on the decision-making process rather than rushing to an outcome, Michelle was able to align her choices with her family’s values and health priorities. She stresses that frameworks are not prescriptive but rather tools to guide clarity and dialogue.

Mapping Scenarios with a Decision Tree [00:08:00]

Michelle shares how she used a decision tree to map out potential outcomes and decisions over time. This tool allowed her to visualize how choices, uncertainties, and new decisions could unfold.

Steps for creating a decision tree:

Identify Decisions: Outline key choices, such as when to begin treatment or attempt pregnancy.
Map Outcomes: Visualize possible results, like treatment success or pregnancy viability.
Anticipate Follow-Up Decisions: Plan for new decisions that might emerge based on different outcomes.
Weigh Risks and Benefits: Assess each pathway by balancing safety and family goals.

Michelle explains, “A decision tree lets you play out potential scenarios and consider what new decisions might emerge from each path.” This approach helped her evaluate the timing of treatments and pregnancy attempts while managing risks to her health.

Introducing the Relief-Regret Matrix [00:13:00]

To complement the decision tree, Michelle developed the Relief-Regret Matrix, a tool for evaluating future scenarios by considering potential feelings of relief or regret. This framework was particularly helpful in weighing emotional responses to different choices.

How to use the Relief-Regret Matrix:

Step 1: Identify possible future scenarios and consider where relief or regret might arise.
Step 2: Assess the likelihood of each scenario occurring.
Step 3: Plan how you would respond to regretful situations.
Step 4: Take proactive steps to increase the likelihood of relief-inducing outcomes.

Michelle notes, “Risk has two components: magnitude—how big is the badness—and likelihood. A balanced view helps us make better decisions.” The matrix provided a structured way to evaluate not only risks but also emotional outcomes, enabling her and her husband to feel more confident in their choice.

Risk, Agency, and Confidence in Decisions [00:18:00]

Michelle and Shanice discuss the role of agency in navigating uncertainty. For Michelle, this meant focusing on what she and her family could control while acknowledging external risks.

She emphasizes the importance of clearly defining objectives. “Risk is all about the possibility of not meeting your objectives,” Michelle explains. By clarifying these objectives, she and her husband could weigh the potential downsides alongside their shared family aspirations.

“Identifying where we still have agency helps build confidence to move forward,” Michelle says. This empowered perspective allowed them to mitigate risks and approach their decision with resilience.

Reflecting on Outcomes and Process [00:22:00]

Michelle reflects on the eventual outcome: they successfully expanded their family, welcoming a healthy second child. While there were unrelated medical complications during the birth, her chronic condition did not interfere with the pregnancy.

However, Michelle cautions against equating a good outcome with a good decision. “At the point that we made the decision, we felt good about it because of the process we went through—and that’s what matters,” she says. This distinction underscores the importance of focusing on decision quality rather than outcome quality.

By sharing her experience, Michelle demonstrates how thoughtful processes can guide us through uncertainty and allow us to adapt, regardless of how things turn out.

Key Takeaways

Break complex decisions into components like objectives, options, and information.
Tools like decision trees and the Relief-Regret Matrix provide clarity and structure.
Risk includes magnitude (severity) and likelihood (probability), both of which guide choices.
Focus on the process rather than the outcome for better confidence in decisions.
Understand your agency and prepare for uncertainties to build resilience.

Mentioned in the Podcast

For More Decision-Making Resources

Michelle’s Stanford Continuing Studies course
Check out Michelle’s self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S5E04 | Decoding Emotions in Decision Making

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 4 Dec 2024 14:42:06 +0000

By distinguishing between acting from emotion and being aware of emotion, Michelle equips listeners with tools to embrace emotions constructively. This episode dives deep into the nuances of emotions in decision-making, making it an essential listen for anyone navigating big life choices.

S5E4 | Decoding Emotions in Decision Making

The episode unpacks this tension by exploring how emotions can act as signals rather than obstacles in decision-making. Drawing on years of coaching experience, Michelle offers actionable advice and frameworks to help listeners navigate their emotions, integrate insights, and move forward with clarity.

Introduction [00:00:00]
Listener Question: Balancing Emotions in Decision-Making [00:03:00]
Emotions as Data: The Key to Better Decisions [00:06:00]
Common Emotional Challenges in Decision-Making [00:09:00]
Framework: Circles of Control and Concern [00:22:00]
Sneaky Emotions: Sadness, Grief, and Impatience [00:27:00]
Practical Steps for Noticing and Naming Emotions [00:30:00]
Conclusion: Emotions as Allies [00:35:00]

Introduction [00:00:00]

Big decisions often evoke strong emotions, ranging from fear and anxiety to excitement and hope. These feelings can either cloud judgment or provide valuable insights—depending on how we approach them. This episode of Ask a Decision Engineer centers on a question from Natalia, a listener in Scotland, who asks, “When making big decisions, there are a lot of emotions involved. How do you distance yourself from all these emotions and, at the same time, take them into account?”

Michelle opens by acknowledging the significance of this question. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was telling the truth and saying that they had no emotions in the face of big decisions,” she notes. She highlights the tension many feel between wanting to make rational decisions and recognizing the inevitable role emotions play.

Listener Question: Balancing Emotions in Decision-Making [00:03:00]

Natalia’s question about balancing emotions and rationality in decision-making sets the stage for the episode. Michelle applauds Natalia for acknowledging the presence of emotions in big decisions. “So I’m glad that you’re acknowledging that they’re there,” she says, “and then you pose such an interesting question: how do you distance yourself from all these emotions and, at the same time, take them into account?”

Michelle notes that societal sentiment often promotes rationality as the hallmark of good decisions. “There’s definitely a sentiment out there that is wary of bringing emotions into decisions,” she explains. Yet she challenges this view, emphasizing that emotions, when understood and integrated properly, can enhance decision-making rather than detract from it.

Michelle introduces the distinction between acting from emotion and being aware of emotion. “I’m definitely advocating for the latter,” she says, “because it’s in being aware of our emotions that we can use them as valuable data in our decision-making.” This distinction underpins the advice and strategies explored throughout the episode.

Emotions as Data: The Key to Better Decisions [00:06:00]

Michelle explains that emotions are not just noise—they are signals pointing to our needs and values. While aspirational emotions, like joy or fulfillment, can serve as a North Star for decision-making, emotions such as fear or overwhelm offer immediate feedback on what matters most in a given situation.

“Emotions can play a really important role in pointing to our needs and our wants,” she explains. However, these signals can only be harnessed if we pause to observe them. Michelle encourages listeners to take a moment to notice their feelings, creating the space needed to integrate emotional insights into the decision-making process.

The key to using emotions as data lies in reflection. Michelle advises listeners to ask themselves, “What are these emotions trying to tell me?” This simple act of inquiry can turn overwhelming feelings into actionable insights, aligning decisions with personal values and goals.

Common Emotional Challenges in Decision-Making [00:09:00]

Michelle explores common emotions that arise during decision-making, including overwhelm, fear, and anxiety. These feelings often reflect the weight of competing priorities or the uncertainty of outcomes.

Overwhelm: Overwhelm arises when we try to process too much internally. Michelle recommends externalizing these thoughts: “Write things down, talk them out, or find a way to organize your thoughts.” By getting emotions out of your head and into a tangible format, you can reduce cognitive overload and approach decisions with greater clarity.

Fear of Being Wrong: Many struggle with the fear of making the “wrong” decision. Michelle reframes this fear by differentiating between decision quality and outcome quality. “The quality of your decision is not equal to the quality of the outcome,” she explains. Outcomes depend on numerous factors beyond our control, so focusing on the decision process itself is key.

Michelle also discusses the fear of hurting others or being judged, emphasizing that these feelings reflect what we value. She advises examining these fears closely to determine their relevance to the decision at hand.

Framework: Circles of Control and Concern [00:22:00]

Michelle introduces Stephen Covey’s Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern to help listeners identify where to focus their energy.

Key Components:

Circle of Control: What you can directly influence, such as your actions and decisions.
Circle of Influence: Areas where you can have a partial impact, like relationships or team dynamics.
Circle of Concern: Factors entirely beyond your control, such as external events or others’ opinions.

“If you’re feeling hopeless or trapped, ask yourself: Am I focusing on something in my Circle of Concern?” Michelle advises. Redirecting attention to the Circle of Control can help reframe challenges and reduce feelings of powerlessness.

Michelle also incorporates the concept of “gravity problems” from the Life Design Lab at Stanford, reminding listeners not to expend energy on issues they cannot change.

Sneaky Emotions: Sadness, Grief, and Impatience [00:27:00]

Michelle discusses subtle emotions that often go unnamed, such as sadness, grief, and impatience.

Sadness and Grief: Sadness often stems from mourning opportunities not taken. “By choosing this other one, that means I’m not going to be walking that other path, at least for right now,” Michelle notes. Acknowledging this grief allows for closure and prevents indecision.

Impatience: Impatience can lead to hasty choices driven by discomfort with uncertainty. Michelle advises listeners to recognize impatience as a signal and avoid rushing decisions prematurely.

Practical Steps for Noticing and Naming Emotions [00:30:00]

Michelle outlines a practical process for engaging with emotions:

Pause and Reflect: Take a moment to observe your emotions.
Name the Emotion: Assign a label to what you’re feeling.
Examine the Root: Ask, “What is this emotion trying to tell me?”
Define Peace: Complete the sentence, “I can move forward feeling at peace with this decision because…”

Naming emotions creates clarity and space for constructive decision-making. “It’s in that simple act of creating just a little bit of space to observe your emotions that you can use them in a constructive way,” Michelle explains.

Conclusion: Emotions as Allies [00:35:00]

Michelle concludes by reframing emotions as allies rather than obstacles. By noticing and naming emotions, individuals can access a richer data set for decision-making.

“Emotions are simply another source of data that comes to you quickly,” she says. This data, when deciphered and integrated, can lead to more thoughtful and confident decisions.

Key Takeaways

Emotions are signals providing valuable data for decision-making.
Notice and name emotions to create space for reflection.
Differentiate between acting from emotion and using emotion as a guide.
Focus on controllable factors and let go of concerns outside your influence.

Mentioned in the Podcast

Stephen Covey’s Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern
Stanford Life Design Lab

For More Decision-Making Resources

Michelle’s Stanford Continuing Studies course
Check out Michelle’s self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

Michelle Florendo is a distinguished decision engineer and executive coach who specializes in helping individuals navigate complex decisions in both personal and professional spheres. With a Bachelor of Science in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, Michelle employs a sophisticated blend of decision engineering, design thinking, and lean startup methodologies to assist her clients in charting their optimal path forward. She has guided hundreds of driven professionals in applying decision engineering principles to achieve greater clarity and reduce stress in their decision-making processes.

She currently teaches a decision-making course for

Stanford Continuing Studies

and has played a pivotal role in enhancing the curriculum on career decision-making in Stanford's renowned

Design Your Life course

. Her expertise has been recognized by various prestigious organizations, as evidenced by her involvement with

Seth Godin's altMBA program

, her founding membership in the

Forbes Coaches Council

, and her position as a faculty coach for the

Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute

. For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at

poweredbydecisions.com

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S5E03 | The End-of-Life Retreat: Finding Clarity Amidst Uncertainty

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Drawing on her decision-making expertise, Michelle used frameworks and emotional clarity to create space for constructive conversations with her family during this challenging time.

Introduction [00:00:00]
A Year of Pause and Reflection [00:01:00]
Planning an End-of-Life Retreat [00:05:00]
Facilitating Emotional Clarity [00:08:00]
The Four-Phase Framework for End-of-Life Planning [00:09:00]
The Role of Emotions in Decision-Making [00:11:00]
Decision-Making as an Ongoing Process [00:15:00]
Practical Advice for Navigating Family Decisions [00:22:00]
Honoring a Legacy of Agency [00:29:00]

Introduction [00:00:00]

This episode takes a deeply personal turn, offering a rare glimpse into how Michelle applied her professional insights to one of the most challenging and transformative moments of her life. Her decision to plan and facilitate an end-of-life retreat is a testament to the power of clarity, collaboration, and intention in guiding families through difficult transitions.

Michelle reflects on the emotional weight of this experience: “I hope this episode not only helps others navigate similar situations but also honors the memory of Joyce.” Whether you are facing a similar situation or seeking inspiration for navigating life’s complexities, this episode provides both practical advice and heartfelt insight.

A Year of Pause and Reflection [00:01:00]

Michelle begins by reflecting on her unexpected break from podcasting in 2023. Her mother-in-law Joyce, a vibrant and active 78-year-old, was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer—a diagnosis that redefined her priorities.

Michelle shares how she and her husband, as Joyce’s primary caregivers, faced a whirlwind of logistical and emotional challenges. Her background in decision-making became a key asset, but the personal nature of the situation introduced new complexities.

"I needed to trim down all of my obligations to really focus on my family," Michelle explains, emphasizing the importance of centering family and values during life’s most difficult transitions.

Planning an End-of-Life Retreat [00:05:00]

Michelle describes how her professional expertise inspired her to organize an end-of-life retreat for her mother-in-law. Combining reflection with celebration, the retreat gave the family an opportunity to make space for and honor Joyce’s wishes for her final months while also cherishing the time they had together.

During the retreat, Michelle began by giving everyone Post-its to write down thoughts, questions, and decisions they had been carrying. This exercise allowed the group to set these concerns aside temporarily, creating space for deeper conversations.

"I realized I was in a position to help my family have constructive conversations about how to approach the inevitable decisions that would need to come," Michelle explains. The retreat created a balance of joy and reflection, blending milestone celebrations with intentional planning.

Facilitating Emotional Clarity [00:08:00]

At the heart of the retreat was a focus on emotional clarity. Michelle asked each family member to identify how they wanted to feel during the various stages of Joyce’s journey. This activity highlighted not only Joyce’s priorities but also the needs of her support circle.

For example, Joyce expressed a desire to feel unburdened and calm, while others emphasized wanting to feel helpful, supportive, and eventually at peace. Michelle notes that this focus on emotions allowed the family to align their decisions with shared priorities.

"One of the things that I’ve found, especially when it comes to personal decisions, is that it almost always ends up with, ‘Because we want to feel a certain way,’” she explains.

The Four-Phase Framework for End-of-Life Planning [00:09:00]

Michelle introduced a structured framework to guide the family through Joyce’s diagnosis:

Digesting the News: Addressing medical logistics, communicating with extended family, and absorbing the shock of the diagnosis.
Adjusting to Change: Preparing for the physical and emotional toll of treatment and adapting to the new reality.
Final Days: Focusing on comfort and presence during Joyce’s last moments.
Afterward: Supporting the surviving family and navigating the emotional and logistical aspects of her passing.

Michelle emphasized that each phase required unique considerations and allowed the family to clarify their priorities for each stage. “We needed to delineate the phases because different stages brought different decisions and emotional needs,” she explains.

The Role of Emotions in Decision-Making [00:11:00]

Michelle explores how emotions play a central role in guiding decisions during challenging times. Rather than ignoring emotions, she views them as signals that point to deeper values and needs.

This perspective proved vital when Joyce’s chemotherapy began to take a severe toll on her quality of life. The family revisited their earlier discussions and decided to transition to hospice care—a decision rooted in clarity about how Joyce and her family wanted to feel.

"The emotions surface because they often point to needs,” Michelle underscores.

Decision-Making as an Ongoing Process [00:15:00]

Michelle highlights the dynamic nature of decision-making, particularly in emotionally complex situations. The family regularly revisited their priorities and adjusted their plans based on Joyce’s evolving needs.

For example, the clarity gained during the retreat provided a foundation for decisions made in the months that followed. Michelle emphasizes the importance of remaining flexible and building in checkpoints to reevaluate priorities.

"Anytime there might be big shifts in your objectives, the options, or what data you have, you have opportunities to make new decisions," she said.

Practical Advice for Navigating Family Decisions [00:22:00]

Michelle offers actionable advice for those navigating similar challenges:

Ask Key Questions: Start with, “How do you want to feel?” to clarify priorities.
Externalize Thoughts: Write down emotions, questions, and decisions to unburden mental load.
Create Space for Rest: Balance heavy discussions with moments of joy and connection.
Collaborate with Empathy: Engage all stakeholders to ensure shared understanding and support.

"Even the simple question, ‘How do you want to feel?’ can be so powerful," Michelle notes.

Honoring a Legacy of Agency [00:29:00]

The episode concludes with a heartfelt tribute to Joyce, celebrating her agency and courage. Michelle reflects on how Joyce’s ability to articulate her wishes inspired the family to approach life’s transitions with intention.

"She moved through her entire life with a sense of agency, an ability to articulate what she wanted, and to make decisions to bring that to fruition," Michelle says. Joyce’s story serves as a reminder of the power of clarity and choice in shaping life’s most meaningful moments.

Key Takeaways

Emotional clarity serves as a guiding compass during difficult decisions.
Decision-making frameworks provide structure for navigating complex situations.
Collaboration and open communication transform tough conversations into moments of connection.
Flexibility and checkpoints help adapt plans to evolving circumstances.

For More Decision-Making Resources

Michelle’s Stanford Continuing Studies course
Check out Michelle’s self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S5E02 | Why is Decision-Making So Hard?

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 14:28:25 +0000

"So if you've ever had that thought. Asking, ‘Why is this so hard?’ And wondering, ‘Am I the only one?’ I want you to know. You're not alone. And it's not your fault." - Michelle Florendo

Decision-making is a fundamental part of our daily lives, yet many people find it increasingly challenging. In this episode, Michelle Florendo addresses a question from Jacob in New York about why decision-making feels so difficult and whether he's the only one who is having a hard time.

S5E2 | Why is Decision-Making So Hard?

Michelle shares her insights from years of coaching and teaching decision-making, revealing that many people face similar challenges but often hesitate to discuss them openly.

Introduction [00:00:00]
The Hidden Nature of Decision-Making Struggles [00:02:30]
Why Decision-Making is Hard: The Impact of Technology [00:05:45]
Decisions as Reflections of Identity [00:11:30]
The Influence of Social Media on Decision-Making [00:15:00]
The Erosion of Tolerance for Uncertainty [00:18:45]
Conclusion [00:22:30]

Introduction [00:00:00]

Michelle introduces the episode by addressing Jacob's question about why decision-making feels so difficult and whether he's alone in his struggles. She emphasizes that many people face similar challenges but often hesitate to discuss them openly. This reluctance to share difficulties with decision-making creates a false impression that others don't struggle, leading to feelings of isolation.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm terrible at decision-making. I spend a lot of time overthinking and straight-up agonizing over decisions. Am I the only one? Why are decisions so hard?" Michelle said, quoting Jacob’s question.

Michelle responds: "You are not alone. And thank you for asking the question." She explains that her experience in coaching and teaching decision-making has shown her how common these struggles are, despite the lack of public discourse on the topic.

The Hidden Nature of Decision-Making Struggles [00:02:30]

Michelle shares an anecdote about a LinkedIn post she made asking about decision-making challenges. While the public thread received few responses, her direct messages were flooded with people sharing their struggles privately. This experience highlighted how many people are uncomfortable discussing their decision-making difficulties in public forums.

"I remember the public thread was like crickets. No one was responding. Maybe there were one or two responses... At the same time, I remember my DMs were blowing up," Michelle said. This stark contrast between public silence and private outpouring illustrates the hidden nature of decision-making struggles.

She explains that this reluctance to open up about decision-making challenges stems from societal expectations, particularly in corporate environments, where decision-making skills are often taken for granted. Many people assume they should already be proficient in decision-making, leading to a hesitancy to admit struggles or seek help.

"Decision-making is often taken for granted. Decision-making is something that people assume you already should be good at," Michelle adds.

Why Decision-Making is Hard: The Impact of Technology [00:05:45]

Michelle delves into how technology has significantly impacted our approach to decision-making. While technology has made more information readily accessible, it has also created new challenges:

Information Overload: The vast amount of available information can be overwhelming and lead to analysis paralysis.
Illusion of Perfect Knowledge: Easy access to information has created an unrealistic expectation that we should be able to predict and control outcomes perfectly.
Increased Pressure: The abundance of information has raised the perceived stakes of decisions, as people feel they should make the "best" choice with all the available data.

Michelle points out: "More data has seduced us into thinking that it's possible to have perfect data. There's this illusion that we should be able to control the outcomes of our decisions through pre-knowledge." This expectation of perfect knowledge and control sets an impossible standard for decision-makers.

She emphasizes that good decision-making isn't about predicting the future with certainty, but rather about managing uncertainty and risk effectively. Michelle states, "I'm here to tell you that good decision-making is not about clairvoyance. And if predicting the future or knowing the future is the standard you're holding yourself to, you're just setting yourself up for frustration and failure."

Decisions as Reflections of Identity [00:11:30]

Michelle discusses how decisions have become more than just practical choices; they've become reflections of our identity. This shift has made decisions feel more high-stakes and emotionally charged. She references Barry Schwartz's book "The Paradox of Choice," explaining how decisions now often relate to higher-level needs like belonging and self-actualization, rather than just survival.

"Decisions are no longer just about fulfilling needs for survival. But now for fulfilling needs higher up on Maslow's hierarchy of needs like belonging and self-actualization. Decisions have become a vehicle for expressing identity," she explains. This transformation of decisions into expressions of identity adds emotional weight to our choices.

She further elaborates on how this change has intensified the decision-making process: "The rise of social media has made this even more intense. As our lives and the decisions within them have become more public and visible." The increased visibility of our choices amplifies the pressure to make decisions that align with our desired identity and social image.

The Influence of Social Media on Decision-Making [00:15:00]

Michelle explores how social media has intensified the pressure around decision-making:

Increased Visibility: Our decisions are now more visible to a wider audience, increasing the perceived importance of each choice.
Comparison: We're constantly exposed to others' decisions, which can lead to doubt and second-guessing our own choices.
External Judgment: The fear of what others might think adds weight to our decisions.
Information Overload: Social media exposes us to an overwhelming array of possibilities and options.

"We worry about our decisions, not just for how they impact us. But for how other people may view them. Including your old crush from high school who might've seen that post about your new job," Michelle explains.

She stresses the importance of developing stronger internal judgment to navigate these external influences effectively. Michelle advises: "It's even more important to develop stronger internal judgment in the face of external influences. Decision science has been used to design the social media apps that demand our attention... I think it's time to use decision science to improve the experience of decision makers instead of manipulating them."

The Erosion of Tolerance for Uncertainty [00:18:45]

Michelle explains how technological advances have reduced our tolerance for uncertainty and open-ended situations:

Instant Gratification: The ability to get immediate answers and quick solutions has decreased our patience for uncertainty.
Reduced Practice: We have fewer opportunities to practice sitting with tension and uncertainty.
Increased Anxiety: Lower tolerance for uncertainty leads to increased anxiety when faced with decisions.

Michelle reflects on the change: "We live in an on-demand era. And with its close to instant gratification, it has decimated our ability to sit with the absence of resolution."

This diminished capacity to handle uncertainty makes decision-making more challenging and anxiety-inducing. She emphasizes the importance of building the "muscle" to tolerate uncertainty and tension, which can lead to more effective decision-making over time.

"Sitting with tension, as Seth Godin used to call it in the altMBA, is a muscle. If we are not continually exercising it and building it, it atrophies,” Michelle adds.

Conclusion [00:22:30]

Michelle concludes by reassuring listeners that if they find decision-making difficult, they're not alone and it's not their fault. She acknowledges the many factors that contribute to making decision-making challenging in today's world. Michelle expresses hope that by understanding these challenges and learning effective frameworks, people can experience relief and make decisions more easily.

"So if you've ever had that thought. Asking. Why is this so hard? And wondering, ‘Am I the only one?’ I want you to know. You're not alone. And it's not your fault," she stresses.

Key Takeaways

Many people struggle with decision-making but hesitate to discuss it openly.
Technology has made more information available but has also created new challenges in decision-making.
Decisions have become reflections of identity, making them feel more high-stakes.
Social media has intensified the pressure around decision-making by increasing visibility and comparison.
Our tolerance for uncertainty has decreased due to technological advances and instant gratification culture.
Building the ability to tolerate uncertainty is crucial for effective decision-making.
Understanding the challenges of modern decision-making can provide relief and lead to more effective strategies.

Mentioned in the Podcast

"The Paradox of Choice" by Barry Schwartz
“Hierarchy of Needs” by Maslow
Seth Godin’s altMBA program

For More Decision-Making Resources

Michelle’s Stanford Continuing Studies course
Check out Michelle’s self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

She currently teaches a decision-making course for Stanford Continuing Studies and has played a pivotal role in enhancing the curriculum on career decision-making in Stanford's renowned Design Your Life course. Her expertise has been recognized by various prestigious organizations, as evidenced by her involvement with Seth Godin's altMBA program, her founding membership in the Forbes Coaches Council, and her position as a faculty coach for the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute. For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S5E01 | From Maternity Leave to 20,000 Listeners - Reflections on 5 Years of Decision Making Podcasting

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Shanice Webb) — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:28:22 +0000

In this special episode, Michelle Florendo reflects on five years of hosting "Ask a Decision Engineer." Joined by her friend Shanice Webb, Michelle shares insights about the podcast's evolution from a maternity leave project to an international resource for decision-making advice. They discuss overcoming fears, measuring impact, and the journey of adapting content to fit a global audience. Through moments of vulnerability, Michelle illustrates the importance of determination and continuous growth in her work.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the determination that something else is more important." – Ambrose Redmoon

What began as a simple experiment during maternity leave has evolved into an invaluable resource for listeners around the world. In this episode, Michelle candidly explores the emotional highs and lows of building the podcast, from the validation she received from decision-making experts to the challenges of balancing work, family, and personal growth. Michelle and Shanice also discuss how impactful moments, like a listener binge-listening to episodes, inspired Michelle to push past doubts and continue making a difference.

S5E1 | Reflections on Five Years of Decision-Making Podcasting

This reflective episode gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of Ask a Decision Engineer and provides valuable insights into how Michelle measures success beyond metrics. The conversation covers themes such as recognizing limits, prioritizing self-compassion, and creating meaningful content that reaches people where they are. Michelle also shares a preview of what’s to come in Season 5, including new frameworks, listener questions, and stories from her own decision-making experiences.

Table of Contents

Introduction and Origins [00:00:00]
Unexpected Reach and Impact [00:02:30]
Pushing Through Fear [00:04:30]
Measuring Impact [00:09:00]
Seasons and Structure [00:12:00]
Evolution and Growth [00:13:30]
How to Engage with the Podcast [00:16:00]
Looking Ahead to Season 5 [00:19:00]

Introduction and Origins [00:00:00]
Michelle begins by setting the stage for this reflective episode, inviting Shanice Webb to help unpack the podcast’s journey. She recounts how it all started as a test during a podcasting workshop, when she was expecting her second child. A wise friend suggested podcasting over writing a book, given the looming sleep deprivation. Michelle recorded five prototype episodes, queued them up, and went on maternity leave. To her surprise, the episodes resonated with listeners, motivating her to continue producing more content.

"I come across a lot of people who may feel stressed out, whether it's about decision-making in general or about a particular decision that they need to make. Maybe it's keeping them up at night. Maybe they're feeling really stuck, maybe they're feeling overwhelmed, and my hope is that this podcast can provide a way that they can feel more equipped to deal with whatever decision they have in front of them," Michelle revealed.

Reflecting on the early days, Michelle describes the chaos of balancing a newborn and a toddler while the pandemic unfolded. Despite the challenges, she felt inspired to keep going because of the positive feedback. The organic growth of the podcast reaffirmed that even simple prototypes could lead to something impactful. “People enjoyed it and wanted more,” she shares, underscoring the unexpected success that made her realize how significant her content had become.

Unexpected Reach and Impact [00:02:30]

Michelle shares how reviewing the podcast's stats revealed a global reach she hadn’t anticipated. Listeners from countries like Brazil, India, Australia, and various parts of Europe regularly tuned in. This unexpected international audience helped Michelle broaden her perspective and realize that decision-making issues are universal, transcending cultural and professional boundaries. She notes, “Seeing that heat map with listeners from all over the world was kind of fun and humbling.”

Her global impact also prompted a shift in how she presented content. As someone with a U.S. tech background, she had to adjust her lens to ensure the podcast was accessible and relevant worldwide. This awareness challenged her to avoid U.S.-centric perspectives and think inclusively. Michelle emphasizes the importance of reaching people beyond one-on-one coaching, recognizing that her podcast could democratize decision-making knowledge.

"I measure success in terms of like, how many people can I reach? How many people can I reach and provide with even like one little gem or one little nugget that helps start to shift how they approach decision making," she adds.

Pushing Through Fear [00:04:30]
A major turning point in Michelle’s journey came when a respected professor and former president of the Decision Analysis Society reached out with an unexpected email. He expressed admiration for the podcast, noting how her emphasis on the emotional components of decision-making enriched the field. Michelle recalls, “I remember reading that email and crying because it dispelled the fear I had: Who am I to be doing this?” This validation was profound, showing her that her contributions mattered.

Despite her expertise, Michelle has often battled imposter syndrome, questioning whether she was qualified to lead conversations about decision-making. However, the professor’s encouragement changed everything. He even connected her with professional organizations, leading to her involvement with the Society of Decision Professionals, where she now chairs the decision education interest group. This journey illustrates how external validation and community can play crucial roles in pushing through self-doubt.

Measuring Impact [00:09:00]
Michelle admits that the success of the podcast has taken on a deeper meaning than just numbers. Initially, she was surprised by the over 20,000 listens the podcast accumulated, an achievement that would have been impossible through one-on-one coaching, especially with her parenting responsibilities. Yet, she highlights that true success lies in the impact—whether she provides even “one little gem or nugget” that shifts someone’s decision-making approach.

For Michelle, impact stories have been far more rewarding than metrics. She shares, “I still get emails about people binge-listening, devouring it like that professor did. It tells me to keep going, that there’s something here.” Her dedication to reaching people during a period when she couldn’t travel for speaking engagements exemplifies how accessible content can create lasting influence.

Seasons and Structure [00:12:00]
Balancing podcasting with family life, especially during the pandemic, required strategic thinking. Michelle’s solution was to adopt a seasonal structure, allowing her to manage her capacity and give her best. “Sometimes I have to say no to be able to say yes later,” she explains, emphasizing the importance of prioritization. This approach helped her maintain energy and creativity, even amidst the demands of raising two young children.

Michelle also shares that 2023 was a year when she had to pause podcasting due to overwhelming responsibilities. Recognizing limitations and giving herself grace became essential. Her story resonates with anyone juggling multiple roles and emphasizes that it’s okay to step back to recharge. She hopes that her transparency about these challenges empowers others to be kinder to themselves.

Evolution and Growth [00:13:30]
Reflecting on the podcast’s evolution, Michelle acknowledges the growth in both her content and herself. Early episodes often make her cringe, but she chooses to keep them available as a testament to her ongoing learning journey. She explains, “I’m still learning, and that’s okay. I don’t know everything about decision-making, and that’s part of why I bring other experts onto the podcast.” Her approach mirrors the core tenet of self-compassion in decision-making.

Michelle’s seasons reflect her audience’s needs: Season 2 offered practical “painkiller” tips for urgent decisions, Season 3 explored emotional complexities, and Season 4 featured guest experts. This season-based structure allowed her to adapt and experiment, demonstrating how even decision engineers evolve. She invites listeners to witness her growth, emphasizing that every decision-maker is on a lifelong journey of improvement.

How to Engage with the Podcast [00:16:00]

Michelle offers listeners guidance on how to engage with her content based on their needs. For those experiencing decision-related stress or needing immediate solutions, she recommends Season 2, where she shares practical, step-by-step advice. “If you need a painkiller, Season 2 is for you,” she says. This season provides concrete tools to navigate pressing decisions effectively.

For a broader perspective on decision-making, Season 4 showcases best practices and expert interviews, while Season 3 dives into the emotional aspects that often complicate choices. Michelle encourages listeners to start where they feel most drawn, offering flexibility in engagement. She concludes with a coaching mindset, “Meet yourself where you are and choose what serves you best.”

Season 2: For immediate decision-making help ("painkiller")
Season 3: For understanding the emotional side of decision-making
Season 4: For broader perspectives and best practices
Current Season: Start here for the latest insights

Looking Ahead [00:19:00]
Season 5 promises to be an exciting blend of new content and reflective insights. Michelle will answer listener questions collected over the years and share how she’s applied decision-making frameworks in her own life. She teases the introduction of new models developed in response to listener feedback and hints at guest appearances that will expand on different decision-making angles. “I’ve learned so much from listeners’ questions, and this season is about giving back,” she says.

Listeners can look forward to a season that explores real-world applications of decision theories and frameworks, with practical examples from Michelle’s experiences. By featuring guest experts and discussing emerging topics, she aims to keep the content fresh and engaging. Season 5 is set to be a rich resource for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of decision-making.

Season 5 will feature:

Answers to questions received over the years
Personal applications of frameworks
New frameworks developed from listener questions
Guest conversations on various aspects of decision-making

Key Takeaways

Sometimes the desire to help others has to be bigger than our fears - as Michelle discovered when her imposter syndrome met with a professor's unexpected validation
Life happens (like having two kids under four during a pandemic!) and it's okay to structure your work around it rather than the other way around
Whether you need immediate help with a decision, want to understand the emotional side, or are looking to learn from experts, there's a season designed for you
Just like decision-making itself, creating content about decisions is a journey of constant learning - Michelle still cringes at some old episodes, and that's perfectly okay

About Michelle Florendo

Mentioned in the Podcast

For More Decision-Making Resources

Michelle’s Stanford Continuing Studies course
Check out Michelle’s self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven
Speaking/Workshops: Available for organizations

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Season 5 Trailer

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:59:40 +0000

New episodes drop in Fall 2024 – subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E12 April Rinne on the Flux mindset for thriving in change

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (April Rinne, Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

So often in the midst of change or the unknown where our mind goes first is what are we going to do?

But what if the key to being able to navigate change and uncertainty was less about doing, but rather a way of being?

Today, I'm in conversation with April Rinne, a futurist, speaker, and author of the book, Flux: 8 Superpowers For Thriving In Constant Change, where she shares what she has found is the most effective way for navigating the current world of rapidly accelerating unexpected change.

We talk about the illusion that keeps us from seeing things as they are, why cultivating a flux mindset now is more important than ever before, and some of the superpowers that can empower you when responding to change and making decisions.

Topics Covered

03:03 How did you start down this path

04:08 April's three lenses on change

07:14 Shifting from doing to becoming

08:16 Are you viewing change with hope or fear?

11:33 We don't like change that we can't control

13:05 Now, more than ever, we need to learn how to be with change

16:18 The history of the illusion of control

17:40 What would be possible when we choose to lift the veil

20:24 Flux mindset as a key for navigating change

21:56 How does Flux mindset relate to Growth mindset

23:15 The 8 superpowers of the Flux mindset

25:24 The superpower that makes you cringe may point to where your relationship to

change needs extra attention

26:19 Superpower 1: Run slower

26:44 Superpower 2: See what's invisible

27:09 Superpower 3: Get lost

27:33 Superpower 4: Start with trust

28:04 Superpower 5: Know your enough

28:10 Superpower 6: Create your portfolio career

28:40 Superpower 7: Be all the more human

28:53 Superpower 8: Let go of the future

29:44 Know your enough / Know you're enough

38:10 The benefits of embracing getting lost

43:10 Parting words

Guest Bio

April Rinne is a “change navigator,” speaker, investor, and adventurer whose work and travels in more than 100 countries have given her a front-row seat to a world in flux. She is ranked one of the 50 leading female futurists in the world by Forbes and is a Harvard Law School graduate, a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, a Fulbright Scholar, a member of the Silicon Guild, and the author of Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change. April is a trusted advisor to well-known startups, companies, financial institutions, nonprofits, think tanks, and governments worldwide, including Airbnb, Nike, Intuit, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, AnyRoad, and Unsettled as well as governments ranging from Singapore to South Africa, Canada to Colombia, and Italy to India. Earlier in life she was a global development executive, an international microfinance lawyer, and a hiking guide. As a certified yoga teacher, she can often be found upside-down, doing handstands around the world.

Resources

Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E11 Katherine Rosback facilitating decisions in groups

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Katherine Rosback, Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Whenever I teach about decision making, inevitably, the comment comes up, "These frameworks are great and all, but what do I do about the other people in the room?"

Decision making in groups definitely adds a layer of complexity. That's why I invited Katherine Rosback, an expert decision and risk analysis facilitator and a colleague of mine from the Society of Decision Professionals onto the show.

We'll be talking about the science behind asking questions, how to lay the groundwork for shifting someone's perspective, and strategies for facilitating more effective meetings.

Topics Covered

02:35 How Katherine came to do this work

4:28 What do I do about organizational politics?

5:14 The science behind questioning

9:16 Look at the system, not the individual

11:07 Facilitate what is happening, not what you think ought to be happening

12:08 Asking > Telling

14:10 The mountain peak vs the tectonic plates

15:10 The bridging technique

20:42 Center meetings around questions instead of objectives

24:20 Meetings are the most expensive form of communication

26:24 How to think about who should be in the room

30:33 Be mindful about ensuring people are heard

32:54 After we've solicited these different perspectives, then what?

35:13 Islands, bananas, and keeping the boat from turning around

38:30 Two key lessons to take away

Guest Bio

Katherine Rosback is an expert in coaching decision and problem-solving teams and facilitating the messy, ambiguous but must-succeed meeting. She has a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MA in Organizational Communication. Katherine has over 25 years’ experience facilitating decision teams, cross-functional strategic planning workshops, and teaching team facilitators and decision boards how to improve decision quality by asking the better question and navigate the inevitable behavioral complexities. Katherine works with Fortune 500 industries such as airline, oil & gas, and pharma. She is the author of Asking is Better than Telling and host of the podcast, What’s Another Question.

Resources

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E10 Dave Evans on discernment and ways of knowing

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Dave Evans, Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 3 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

In all my years of teaching about decision making, no topic generates more angst than the need to know. But how do you know what you know? How do you know when you know what you know? And how do you integrate this knowing into some of the most important decisions of your life?

In this episode, I invited Dave Evans onto the show to talk all about these topics of knowing and discernment. Dave is the co-author of Designing Your Life and Designing Your New Work Life. He co-founded the Stanford Life Design lab and holds the title of discernment lead for a social impact accelerator.

He shares a number of things he's learned from sitting with thousands of lives via the Designing Your Life programs, including how to go beyond cognitive knowing, the important distinction between certainty and faith, how to approach when things go wrong, and exercises for honing your discernment.

Topics Covered

1:01 A story of how Dave ran smack up against this discernment topic

2:27 It's ok to not have it all figured out

4:40 Defining discernment

5:58 You're not just a brain on a transport system

7:36 Overcoming resistance to tapping into the emotional center of knowing

10:11 The peak-knowing and trough-knowing exercise

10:59 Your brain announced it, but your brain didn't do it

12:21 The importance of articulating and reflecting on what's happening

12:54 Surrogation vs. analysis

14:47 We are humans, not robots

15:26 There is no knowing. Simply give it your best possible shot.

17:40 But what about when things go wrong?

21:16 Where the bias toward causality gets us in trouble

22:46 The falsehood of knowing and distinction between certainty and faith

24:55 The philosophical underpinnings of human-centered design

26:05 Faith and acceptance

28:41 How growth and collaboration factors into this

30:50 Most big decisions are a bet on your future self

33:48 Improve decision making by using multiple ways of knowing

34:10 The Odyssey plan as a tool for tapping into how various futures feel

36:01 In hard decision making, it's not about deciding the right thing

38:19 There's no elimination of risk, just reduction of risk. Know your threshold.

41:14 How to tune into other ways of knowing

42:51 Three levels of discernment: transaction, practice, and formation

45:08 The be-do-become cycle

Guest Bio

From saving the seals to solving the energy crisis, from imagining mice to redefining software — Dave’s been on a mission, including helping others to find theirs.

Starting at Stanford in the 70’s with dreams of following Jacques Cousteau as a marine biologist, Dave realized (a bit late) that he was lousy at it and shifted to mechanical engineering with an eye on the energy problem. After four years in alternative energy, it was clear that this idea’s time hadn’t come yet. So while en route to biomedical engineering, Dave accepted an invitation to work for Apple, where he led the mouse team and introduced laser printing to the masses. When Dave’s boss at Apple left to start Electronic Arts, Dave joined as the company’s first VP of Talent, dedicated to making “software worthy of the minds that use it.”

Having participated in forming the corporate cultures at Apple and EA, Dave decided his best work was in helping organizations build creative environments where people could do great work and love doing it. So he went out on his own working with start-up teams, large corporate executives, non-profit leaders, and countless young adults. They were all asking the same question. “What should I do with my life?” Helping people get traction on that question finally took Dave first to Cal and then Stanford, where Dave is co-founder of the Stanford Life Design Lab in the Stanford Design Program.

Dave and his partner Bill Burnett made their popular Stanford course Designing Your Life into a New York Times #1 Bestselling book of the same name, released in September 2016, followed by Designing Your Work Life in February 2020 and Designing Your New Work Life in October 2021.

Dave holds a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford and a graduate diploma in Contemplative Spirituality from San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Resources

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E09 Michele Wucker on how to think about risk

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michele Wucker, Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Risk. For some people, the very thought sends chills down their spines, yet for others, the topic prompts a sense of thrill. Why is that the case? And what does that mean for how we think about risk in decision making?

To answer those questions and more, I turned to Michele Wucker, author of the books, The Gray Rhino, and You Are What You Risk. We chat about how the way we define risk matters, the layers of factors that make up our risk fingerprint, and things to keep in mind about risk when making group decisions.

Topics Covered

03:11 What brought Michele to studying risk

08:12 The way you define risk, matters

12:26 Awareness is the first step in adjusting your natural tendency

13:14 Risk and group dynamics

16:06 Getting the right kind of diversity in the room to promote better decision making

18:02 The risk fingerprint concept

21:36 Optimizing your risk fingerprint given your personality and experiences

23:59 What feels risky depends on your values

25:13 How to build your risk muscle

25:31 Practice

26:32 Self-awareness

27:47 Surrounding yourself with the right people

28:56 Little hacks

30:14 How risk empathy can improve group decision making

31:25 Questions you can ask to better understand someone else's risk fingerprint

35:48 Thinking about risk in decisions that have broader impact

39:39 Me-here-now vs. Us-everywhere-forever

41:00 Final words of wisdom

Guest Bio

Strategist, speaker, and best-selling author Michele Wucker coined the term “gray rhino” as a call to take a fresh look at how we respond to obvious, probable, impactful risks. She founded the Chicago-based advisory firm Gray Rhino & Company and is a former media and think tank executive. Her four books include the influential global bestseller THE GRAY RHINO: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore and the recently released sequel, YOU ARE WHAT YOU RISK: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World.

Resources

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E08 - Don Moore on confidence and decision leadership

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Don Moore, Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Confidence is a critical part of decision making and being an effective leader. Not enough confidence and you won't move a decision to the action or be able to cultivate the support needed to move it forward.

Too much confidence and you could make decisions that unnecessarily put you and others at risk. So how do you walk the line of having just the right amount of confidence?

Today, I speak with Don Moore: confidence expert, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business professor and author of the book, Perfectly Confident. We discuss the different types of overconfidence we should be aware of as well as ways that decision makers can better calibrate their confidence. He'll also share insights from his latest book Decision Leadership, which helps leaders think about how to empower people within their organizations to make better choices.

Topics Covered

03:02 What is at stake when confidence is not well calibrated?

04:52 Defining confidence

06:31 Confidence, reality, and the downsides of overconfidence

08:56 Calibrating confidence among startup founders

10:32 The 3 types of overconfidence

11:05 How to better calibrate your confidence

14:01 The importance of probabilistic thinking

15:52 Making decisions by calculating expected value

18:11 Beware of hindsight bias + Importance of documenting

19:44 What role should intuition play in decision making?

22:54 Some ways in which intuition is predictably biased

23:32 What decision makers should keep in mind - think beyond yourself

25:05 Leader as decision architect

28:03 Other ways leaders can positively influence the quality of decisions in their org

29:23 What to track

31:02 Choosing when to stop gathering information

32:49 Don't fall into the trap of focusing solely on what's easy to quantify

34:03 The downsides of underconfidence

Guest Bio

Don Moore is a professor of management of organizations at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. He is the author of Perfectly Confident and a co-author of the books Judgement in Managerial Decision Making and Decision Leadership. His expertise and research interests include overconfidence, ethical choice, decision-making, and negotiation. He is only occasionally overconfident.

Resources

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E07 - Ralph Keeney on nudging yourself toward better decisions

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Ralph Keeney, Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Decisions. They are the way we can steer our lives forward, yet how much thought do people give to how they are making them? And more importantly, what are the small things we can do to improve them?

In this episode, I go back to basics with global decision making expert, Ralph Keeney. Ralph is a Professor Emeritus of Business Administration at Duke University and a Professor Emeritus of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California. He has written multiple books on decision making, including Value-Focused Thinking, Smart Choices, and Give Yourself A Nudge.

We talk about why it's worth putting thought into how you make decisions, the impact of shifting focus from decision problems, to decision opportunities, the importance of defining your values in a decision and some quick things you can do to improve your decision making.

Topics Covered

3:25 Why is it worth it to take time to think about decision making?

4:57 Learning the skill of decision making through practice

6:52 Which decisions are worthy of thought

7:46 How much time and effort to put into decisions

10:58 Shifting from alternatives-focused to value-focused thinking

14:46 Decision problems vs. decision opportunities

19:04 Decision opportunities as a way to reduce bad outcomes

21:03 Where you should focus your efforts to improve a decision

22:19 The three keys

24:40 The three keys: an example

27:41 How to nudge yourself to make better decisions

28:43 A nudge for those obsessed with finding the best option

31:29 Little nudges > Learning decision analysis

32:52 Practice on your personal decisions

34:45 Advice for those uncomfortable with decision making in the face of uncertainty

36:17 The upside of uncertainty

38:27 Parting words of wisdom

Guest Bio

Ralph L. Keeney is an expert on decision making. His passion is to help individuals and organizations improve their decision making skills. He has written extensively on the foundational ideas and concepts for making quality decisions and on practical procedures to routinely use, and applications of, those ideas and concepts on important decisions. Dr. Keeney has consulted on a wide range of decisions including corporate management problems, public policy, and significant personal decisions.

Professor Keeney’s books, which have been translated into numerous languages, include Decisions with Multiple Objectives with Howard Raiffa (1976, 1993), Value- Focused Thinking: A Path to Creative Decisionmaking (1992), Smart Choices: A Practical Guide to Making Better Decisions, with John S. Hammond and Howard Raiffa (1999), and Give Yourself a Nudge: Helping Smart People Make Smarter Personal and Business Decisions (2020).

Keeney received a Ph.D. in engineering and operations research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a Research Professor Emeritus of Business Administration at Duke University and a Research Professor Emeritus of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California. He recently received an honorary doctorate from the University of Waterloo in Canada and has been a member of the National Academy of Engineering of the U.S. since 1995.

Resources

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E06 - Amy Day on decision skills for parents and emerging adults

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Amy Day, Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 6 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Decision-making is not just a cognitive exercise; there are benefits to approaching it as a whole person.

To talk more about this, I invited Amy Day, decision educator and executive director of the nonprofit Clarity for Action, to my podcast. Amy likes to say that she grew up in a decision laboratory, surrounded by giants from the field of decision science. She's certified as a decision educator, coach and advisor through Stanford, continuing studies.

Over the past 20 years, she has combined her native background in decision quality, with insights, from social emotional learning, in order to teach emerging adults and parents to integrate whole person decision making into their lives in order to get clarity and take purposeful action.

Today, Amy explains how to check one's decision fitness with a simple acronym, the four components of whole person decision making, and what parents and adults can do to cultivate decision skills and the young people they support.

Topics Covered

2:49 Whole person decision making

4:27 Growing up in a decision laboratory

7:24 Working the emotions that arise in decision making

8:34 Decision fitness and my internal operating system

14:10 Four areas of whole-person decision making

14:20 Values: Who am I

16:02 Internal Operating System: How am I, decision fitness, and HALT

18:36 The importance of putting on your own oxygen mask first

19:37 Decision Process: What could I

26:53 Action: What are my action steps

27:55 Quality of decisions, quality of outcomes

32:11 Decision aftercare

36:00 Decision classroom

About Amy Day’s nonprofit, Clarity4Action

Our goal at Clarity4Action.org is to support people in moving from feeling confused and stuck to calm clarity and effective action in their choices. We teach and coach whole-person decision making to young people as they emerge into adulthood and the people who support them.

Resources

Clarity4Action website Clarity4Action.org
The Four Outcomes Guide
Sign up to receive our weekly email for integrating better decision making into your life. https://clarity4action.org/thoughtful-thursday-blog/

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E05 - Carl Spetzler on the six links of decision quality

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Carl Spetzler, Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

How can you know you've made a good decision, even before you know how things turn out? It’s all about understanding decision quality.

To talk about that, I invited award-winning decision quality expert, Carl Spetzler onto today's show. Carl is the co-founder and chairman of Strategic Decisions group, a leading strategy consulting firm, renowned for its expertise in strategic decision making for greater value creation. He also literally wrote the book on decision quality along with his colleagues, Hannah Winter and Jennifer Meyer.

Today, we talk about how the concept of decision quality has helped companies make better decisions when millions and billions of dollars are on the line, how you can employ the six links of decision quality to be confident you are making a good decision, as well as other tips for making better decisions.

Topics Covered

2:49 The early days of decision analysis and engineering economics

6:17 Applications of decision quality in the corporate world

7:55 Applications of decision quality in everyday life

11:28 How to have a good decision at the time you make it

11:35 Appropriate frame

14:08 Creative alternatives

14:45 Values

16:14 Information

17:12 Sound reasoning

17:53 Commitment to action

21:05 Your decision is only as good as the weakest link

22:06 How to use the six links when you need to make decisions quickly

23:58 Having the right decision agenda

25:34 Pay attention to how you relate to clarity and action

Guest Bio

Carl Spetzler is the co-founder and chairman of Strategic Decisions Group, a leading strategy consulting firm renowned for its expertise in strategic decision-making for greater value creation. He is also the lead author of Decision Quality: Value Creation from Better Business Decisions (Wiley, 2016) with coauthors Hannah Winter and Jennifer Meyer.

He serves on the board of the Decision Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the decision-making skills of youth. In 2004, Dr. Spetzler received The Ramsey Medal, the highest honor awarded by the Decision Analysis Society of INFORMS for lifetime contributions to the field.

Resources mentioned

Strategic Decisions Group
Society of Decision Professionals
Decision Education Foundation
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E04 - Alexis Gonzales-Black on org decision making and inclusive processes

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo, Alexis Gonzales-Black) — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Making decisions as an individual has its challenges, but having to make decisions as a group adds many other layers of complexity. To talk about that, I brought my friend, Alexis Gonzales-Black onto today's show.

Alexis is a Partner and the org design lead at August Public. Before August, she led the implementation of Holacracy at Zappos and helped shape an emerging org design practice for world-class clients at IDEO. She is an expert in organization design and is driven by a desire to make workplaces more inclusive, agile, and fun.

In this episode, we talk about what she's noticing about the future of work in a hybrid environment, why consensus is not the right approach 90% of the time, what truly inclusive decision processes look like, and a quick reframe that enables you to make group decisions faster.

Topics covered

03:02 Moving from remote to hybrid

06:16 Decision making as a persistent challenge

09:04 We love consensus

09:47 Decision making as a spectrum

10:46 Two other approaches to try

16:22 Stakeholder mapping

18:26 Inclusion in decision-making processes

21:05 What's possible when you reframe decision making as a skill learned over time

22:25 What happens when you push decision making down to the levels closest to the

work

23:29 Leading the roll out of Holocracy at Zappos

25:09 A tangent on releasing ourselves from the idea that we can achieve certainty

26:01 Back to Holocracy at Zappos

29:13 Human centered org design at IDEO

31:28 What has been most fascinating about the work at August Public

35:23 Decision making as a perfect proxy for understanding what's going on in an

organization

37:30 Key things to remember or try

Guest Bio

Alexis is a Partner and the Org Design lead at August Public. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she's worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before August, she led the implementation of Holacracy at Zappos and helped shape an emerging org design practice for world-class clients at IDEO. She is driven by a desire to make workplaces more inclusive, agile, and fun.

Resources

Learn from the experts at August Public: https://www.aug.co/learning

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E03 - Barry Schwartz on why we should focus on practical wisdom

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo, Barry Schwartz) — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

When making a decision, we should seek out the "best" option, right? Turns out, seeking to maximize your outcomes is likely to leave you less happy and more stressed. On the show today I bring you one of my mentors, Barry Schwartz, who wrote the game-changing book The Paradox of Choice, Why More is Less.

Barry shares why maximizing is a bad goal, talks about the benefits of constraints, and shows how practical wisdom is what will enable us to succeed in the face of uncertainty and ambiguity.

Topics covered

03:01 What prompted him to get into this field

06:48 What makes a decision bad? And people making decisions inconsistent with their

goals.

09:07 Maximizing is a bad goal

11:07 Culture's influence on maximizing and unhappiness

12:14 Why constraints are good

22:37 Support Barry's grandkids' education!

23:13 Practical wisdom

28:02 What is needed is judgment, not rules

31:24 The need to learn how to live with uncertainty and ambiguity

34:56 Why you should learn to be a chefs vs. a cook

37:59 Analytical tools can help…

40:11 Key things to remember

Guest Bio

Barry Schwartz is an emeritus professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and a visiting professor at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley. He has spent fifty years thinking and writing about the interaction between economics, psychology, and morality. He has written several books that address aspects of this interaction, including The Battle for Human Nature, The Costs of Living, The Paradox of Choice, Practical Wisdom, and most recently, Why We Work. Schwartz has written for sources as diverse as The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Slate, Scientific American, The New Republic, the Harvard Business Review, and the Guardian. He has appeared on dozens of radio shows, including NPR’s Morning Edition, and Talk of the Nation, and has been interviewed on Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN), the PBS News Hour, The Colbert Report, and CBS Sunday Morning. Schwartz has spoken four times at the TED conference, and his TED talks have been viewed by more than 20 million people.

Resources

The Paradox of Choice book

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E02 - Kathy Davies on design thinking and life decisions

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo, Kathy Davies) — Wed, 8 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Decisions about what you want to do next in life feel big- they can literally change your life. That's why so many people feel stuck in the process. Today I'm speaking with my friend, Kathy Davies, the Managing Director of the Life Design Lab at Stanford University. She is also the co-founder of Designing Your Life for Women and a Master Trainer of the Designing Your Life process.

In today's episode, Kathy provides an overview of what it looks like to apply design thinking to life decisions, talks about the value of sitting with emotions and feelings, explains why community helps us get unstuck, and invites employers to help co-create new options that work for both companies and employees.

Topics Covered

03:23 What is life design?

05:05 The human centered design thinking process

05:36 Empathy

05:43 Define

06:27 Ideate

07:33 Prototype

08:42 Prototyping as a mindset shift

9:30 Start small

10:54 Prototyping careers through conversation

12:26 Test: incorporate your learnings

14:08 The importance of recognizing when it's time to engage in the process, and when

it may not be time

16:12 The value of recognizing what we need

18:10 The value of sitting with emotions and feelings

19:48 We are all in process, especially at the time of transition

21:10 It helps to do this in community

22:39 The feelings that keep people stuck

25:29 The opportunity companies have in co-creating options that work

30:38 Four-step process for getting started with life design

35:38 The key mindset shift

Guest Bio

Kathy Davies is the Managing Director of the Life Design Lab at Stanford University, where she teaches Product Design, Mechanical Engineering, and “Designing Your Life”. She is also the co-founder of Designing Your Life for Women and a Master Trainer of the Designing Your Life process. She has 15 years of experience developing electromechanical and software products, and proudly holds five patents. Kathy consults with Silicon Valley companies, teaches design thinking, conducts ethnographic research, and develops product strategies and concepts. She believes design thinking and life design are powerful mechanisms for getting unstuck, and is a passionate advocate for use of design thinking to empower social change, especially around equity for women.

Resources

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S4E01 - Seth Godin on intentional decisions and dancing with fear

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 1 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

In this fourth season of the podcast, I'm bringing folks on the show who have influenced my work on decision-making. And who better to start with than Seth Godin, without whom this podcast would not exist.

Seth is an entrepreneur, an author of multiple New York Times bestselling books, writer of one of the most popular blogs in the world and a dear teacher of mine when it comes to dancing with the emotions that come up in decision-making. Today, we talk about making decisions with intent, the difference between intent and purpose, why fear is not a bad thing, and how to dance with fear when making decisions.

Topics covered

02:20 Why is learning to make good decisions important?

03:39 Mindful decision making: intent vs instinct

04:56 The useful practice of meta-cognition

06:04 The difference between purpose and intent

07:51 Being on the hook is the best place to be

08:24 How to grapple with the fear of being on the hook

09:59 Staring down fear is a good signal

13:46 What's the payoff of dancing with fear?

16:01 Quality of decisions is distinct from quality of the outcome

16:36 How to dance with the fear of regret

16:36 Dancing with the fear of what others may think

21:52 Decision making as a posture

24:01 The freedom that comes with understanding sunk costs

Guest Bio

Seth is an author, entrepreneur, and most of all, a teacher.. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 20 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. The latest book is The Practice, and creatives everywhere have made it a bestseller. Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!). By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world.

Resources

The altMBA
Akimbo, home of The Podcasting Workshop and others
Annie Duke’s book, Thinking in Bets

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Season 4 Trailer: New episodes coming in June 2022

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 25 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

When facing big decisions, even the smartest people can get tied into knots. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Hi, I'm Michelle Florendo.

I studied decision engineering at Stanford and over the past 15 years, I've helped hundreds of people navigate complex decisions in their professional and personal lives.

In season four of my podcast, Ask A Decision Engineer, I'll be interviewing guests on the show who will share insights, strategies, and tools to help you work through your decision-making challenges.

You'll hear from authors, professors and practitioners spanning the fields of decision science, psychology, organizational behavior, and human centered design.

New episodes drop in June. Subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts.

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S3E08 - How do I know my decisions were the best ones?

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 4 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

In this Ask Me Anything (AMA) episode, I answer a question from a listener about how to tell whether the decisions he has made were the best ones. Listen in as I discuss how to reduce doubt after making a decision.

Key topics covered in this episode:

1:55 - what this listener is really asking
4:02 - the short answer to the question
5:23 - what would be more helpful when facing this question
6:13 - the feeling that prompts this question and why you feel it
7:58 - the surprising truth about wanting to maximize your outcomes
9:25 - the first step in feeling better about your decisions
10:23 - the power of choosing contentment over conditioning
11:33 - how to get clear with your objectives
12:47 - the importance of committing to staying present

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S3E07 - How to move past overwhelm and feel more confident in decision making

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

In this Ask Me Anything (AMA) episode, I answer a question from a listener about how to approach decisions so that she can move past overwhelm and feel more confident in her decision making. Listen in as I discuss four key steps for her to tackle decisions with more ease.

Key topics covered in this episode:

1:23 - Process orientation vs. outcome orientation
2:32 - Improving confidence by discarding unrealistic bars for decision quality
5:32 - Knowing where to focus by using the Covey's Circles tool
8:39 - Breaking decisions down into bite-sized pieces using the 3 Components framework
10:41 - Key questions to ask to drive toward clarity in each component
17:44 - Other ways you can use the 3 Components framework
19:19 - The critical last step in any decision making process

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S3E06 - How do I deal with elder care decisions after a parents health crisis

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Sometimes there are decisions that are so overwhelming and emotionally draining that what we decide to do to stay mentally and emotionally fit enough to make the decision is as important as the decision process itself. In today's episode, you'll hear from a guest client facing a difficult decision regarding care for her aging mother with a mental health condition. Learn strategies for working through tough decisions involving others.

Key topics we cover:

1:58 - What's key to consider in emotionally difficult decisions
2:30 - Constraints in decision making
8:31 - How Covey's Circle of Influence is a tool that can be used to identify where to focus your efforts
15:11 - The importance of identifying where you have control and where you don't have as much
17:22 - Divergent vs Convergent thinking in exploring options
22:05 - How constraints can sometimes be helpful
26:04 - How to deal with feelings that seem like an obstacle
29:45 - The importance of identifying what it will take to resource yourself

Resources if you are impacted by mental illness:

NAMI.org - National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1 (800) 273-8255

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S3E05 - What should I do after I graduate?

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

How do you figure out what to do after you graduate from college? In this episode, I show a college student how to clarify what she wants, reduce the stress of finding the perfect job, and avoid getting overwhelmed by uncertainties.

Key topics we cover:

2:27 - How to reframe "I don't know what I want"
5:58 - How to use the "Happiness Pyramid" to clarify what you want
8:48 - What to do with advice that tells you to follow your passion
13:50 - Why feelings can be super useful in the process of clarifying what you want
14:40 - How to shift your thinking so that it's easier to recognize the options you have
16:24 - How to think about options
18:33 - How you should approach generating new options if things don't work out
21:05 - Why it's critical to learn how to deal with uncertainty
25:26 - How to design exercises that make the job search less overwhelming

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S3E04 - What to do when torn between intellect and intuition

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Key topics we cover in this episode:

03:47 - What to do when your intellect says one thing and your intuition says another
07:21 - Breaking big decisions into smaller microdecisions
07:57 - Unpacking feelings about money and deciding to invest in one's business
14:05 - What's keeping her awake at night
17:17 - Clarifying her objectives
19:12 - What it means when there is an option you're not willing to entertain
20:40 - What to do about information gaps
28:03 - Determining the value of information
29:29 - How to deal with the desire to just make a decision already

There are three key things that I hope you take away from this episode.

If you find yourself torn between your intellect and your intuition, bring your intuition and feelings into the light. In other words, leaned in and determine what data your intuition and feelings can provide to your intellect so that you can get all parts of you on the same page.
If you find that there's a particular objective that triggers an emotional reaction that may overshadow your rational thinking such as feelings about money. Set that objective aside to look at the decision with a clear lens and then bring it back into consideration later.
If you have information gaps examine, ask yourself what is the value of gathering additional information and whether it is actually worth making that investment. If it is worth it to make that investment, explore how you can get comfortable with the tension that you'll experience until you're able to resolve some of those unknown.

Your head and your heart need not battle it out. When you make space to bring both types of thinking into the picture, you'll leave with a much clearer picture of how to move forward.

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S3E03 - Should I start my own thing or look for a job?

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Today's episode touches on a number of different feelings: the excitement of a new path and the doubts around whether it will pan out the questioning around how much our desires are a result of the culture we've been surrounded by, or if deep down inside, we actually want something else. When we feel like we are swimming in an ocean of thoughts and feelings, it can be extremely useful to get those thoughts down on paper in a structured way.

Consider doing a brain dump and categorizing things into the three components, objectives, options, and information
If you are having a hard time articulating what you want, imagine how you want to feel in the future
A decision matrix can be a useful tool to organize what comes to mind with those three components
Perhaps try to map out different options and scenarios onto a decision tree so that you can make sure you are exploring all branches, fairly

Structure can help you make better sense of all the inputs you have so that you can see things more clearly.

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S3E02 - Stuck, unable to take the plunge

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Mon, 7 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

If you have already decided what course of action to take, but are having a hard time actually acting on it, explore:

what emotions are arising as you think about taking action?
where are those emotions coming from?
if one of those emotions is fear or dread, what is on the other side of that?
if what you fear were to come to fruition, what will you decide to do then?
how might you keep the positive benefits of the course of action you chose top of mind?

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S3E01: Feelings in Decision Making - Friend or Foe

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Mon, 31 May 2021 19:15:00 +0000

We need to stop thinking that the best decisions are ones made in an emotional vacuum. There's a cost to ignoring how we feel. At best we leave useful data on the table. But at worst,

- we waste time beholden to emotions that do have a powerful hold over us

- we make decisions that deliver on the opposite of what we actually want

- we exhaust ourselves by only using a portion of the brainpower that we could possibly be using.

The more we can get curious about what is the feeling that's coming up and what is it telling us about our process, the more useful it can become in moving forward with a good decision.

If you have feelings come up, take a step back, not to ignore, but to observe. Take an engineering lens and try to get at what is the data, ask yourself:

How can I learn more about these inputs for the decision problem I'm trying to solve? Where's that coming from? Why is this feeling coming up? Is it because there's a particular objective or value that is not being acknowledged? Is it because I feel constrained in my options? Do I have a sense of knowing my intuition and summary of past experiences? Is this a feeling stemming from a discomfort with not knowing? Perhaps it's simply the discomfort of not having reached a resolution yet.

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit for Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Season 3 Trailer

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Thu, 6 May 2021 10:00:00 +0000

When facing big decisions, even the smartest people can get tied into knots. But it doesn't have to be that way. Hi, I'm Michelle Florendo. I studied decision engineering at Stanford and over the past 15 years, I've helped hundreds of people navigate complex decisions in their professional and personal lives.

In season three of my podcast, Ask a Decision Engineer, we'll be tackling ALL THE FEELS. You know, when you wish you could just make a rational decision, but can't. The truth is, if you want to feel confident in your decision, don't ignore your emotions. Examine them.

This season, I'll teach you about the types of emotions that may arise in decision-making, what to do about them, and how to use them as data so that you can move forward with less stress and more clarity.

New episodes drop in mid may. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E9: The Basics - How to deal with information in a decision (or lack thereof)

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 20:30:03 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E8: The Basics - How to improve the options component of your decisions

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 19:00:19 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E7: AMA - How to distinguish what I want from what others want

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 10:00:15 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E6: The Basics - Start with a good list of objectives

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 8 Jul 2020 10:00:18 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E5: AMA - How can orgs make better decisions?

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 1 Jul 2020 10:00:09 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E4: The Basics - The number one tip I share to make decisions less stressful

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:00:04 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E3: The Basics - How to stop wasting time and energy on decisions

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 10:00:23 +0000

In this episode Michelle shares what's at the root of decision paralysis and offers up tips on how to save time and energy in the decision making process

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Srinivas Rao's Unmistakable Creative Tribe

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

Catching the Next Wave Podcast

Summary:

- The quality of a decision is separate and distinct from the quality of the outcome

- You have two different systems for decision making: System 1 (fast) and System 2 (slow); reserve System 2 for decisions that really warrant it

- You have a finite reservoir of energy for System 2. Decision fatigue occurs when you exhaust it.

- Even though you've been socialized to want to maximize every decision, the incremental ROI (return on investment) of time and energy isn't always worth it.

- Identify which decisions deserve to be processed with System 1, then for others, decide in advance, use rule-based heuristics, or delegate decision making

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E2: The Basics - What is a decision (and some common misconceptions)

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:00:08 +0000

In this episode, Michelle talks about what a decision is and what it is not, while dispelling some commonly held misconceptions about decisions.

Summary:

Decisions are actions you take to influence the future.

Decisions are not:

- just about picking, they are also about process

- about what is outside of your control, they are about where you have agency

- about the past, they are forward looking

- one and done, they occur over time, in sequence

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

S2E1: What's wrong with decision making today

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Thu, 4 Jun 2020 00:30:16 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Season 2 Trailer for Ask A Decision Engineer

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Powered By Decisions, LLC) — Tue, 5 May 2020 22:27:27 +0000

After launching my first pilot season in 2019 right before my baby was born, I'm back at it with new episodes.About Michelle Florendo Michelle Florendo is a Stanford-trained decision engineer and executive coach who is on a mission to teach people how to make decisions with less stress and more clarity. Over the past decade, she has coached and taught hundreds of leaders across tech, healthcare, and financial services, in organizations ranging from pre-IPO startups to major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Salesforce. She's been an adjunct lecturer at Stanford, helps train coaches as a faculty coach for Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, and hosts the podcast, Ask A Decision Engineer. She earned her engineering degree from Stanford and her MBA from UC Berkeley. For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Episode 5 - AMA How to deal with a 'wrong' decision

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 10:00:22 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Episode 4 - Getting unstuck at a career crossroads

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 5 Jun 2019 10:00:12 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Episode 3 - The common mistake people make in decision making

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 29 May 2019 10:00:09 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Episode 2 - Why decisions are hard (even for smart people)

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 22 May 2019 10:00:07 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Episode 1 - What this podcast is about

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Wed, 15 May 2019 10:00:03 +0000

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

The Ask A Decision Engineer website
Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.

Ask a Decision Engineer - Trailer 1

michelle@michelleflorendo.com (Michelle Florendo) — Sat, 4 May 2019 04:20:05 +0000

For more resources on decision making, or to ask Michelle a question, head over to AskADecisionEngineer.com

About Michelle Florendo

For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional website at poweredbydecisions.com.