We make thousands of decisions every day. Some are fairly simple — we decide when to wake up, what to have for breakfast, what to wear to work, which email to reply to — while others are more complex, requiring us to weigh different options. For example, when buying a laptop, we want to compare different models to find the best one for our budget; when choosing a retirement plan, we compare options to find one with the highest returns for our risk appetite; and when hiring, we compare multiple applicants to identify the best candidate.
To Make Better Choices, Look at All Your Options Together
According to a series of studies.
June 28, 2017
Summary.
When faced with complex decisions, we can examine one option at a time or review all our options together. A study examined how these two ways of evaluating options can influence people’s choices. It found that people were, on average, 22% more likely to choose the objectively best option when they viewed options together rather than one at a time.
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New!
HBR Learning
Decision Making Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Decision Making. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Practical ways to improve your decision-making process.