What is a decision?

• We are indoctrinated to think of a decision as an end point, something that results from a process of analysis that precedes taking any action.
• In reality, many decisions are made after a period of trial and error experimentation - like Honda's decision to sell small motorcycles after people observed their executives riding around on them while trying to market large motorbikes.
• In this case, the decision is a process of discovery rather than an intellectual exercise that precedes action.
• The rationale of organizational learning is precisely the realization that decision making in a vacuum is virtually impossible, so it is better to experiment and see what works before deciding. This approach to making decisions is actually founded on trial and error, hence making mistakes is part of its essence.
• From this point of view, mistakes are central rather than an annoyance.
• Certainly some decisions are ineffective because information available was ignored or not assessed appropriately. Or they're based on emotion or personal biases.
• But many decisions, because of the unknown and complexity, simply cannot be made in the conventional manner.
• The question to consider is this: What proportion of your decisions can be made on the basis of cut-and-dried facts and how many need to make use of trial and error?
• How can this way of viewing decisions alter your view of making mistakes?