May 27, 2009 0
High and Low Tech Decision Making Models
I am in the process of making a life-changing decision. As a result, I have been extremely interested in models, tools and tricks that can be used to help you come to a satisfying conclusion. Two of these methods have piqued my interest in the past month – one is the product of a web startup and one is decidedly low-tech.
High Tech Decision Making: Hunch
Hunch is a decision-making web app
Hunch is a web application, founded by Caterina Fake of Flickr fame, that helps users make decisions. When a user logs in, they pick a question that they are struggling with and then answer a series of ten multiple questions that probe their opinions on issues relevant to the decision. Hunch then draws upon its knowledge of you and its knowledge of users with similiar feelings and gives you a suggestion. The decision questions that Hunch can help you with are all submitted and the relevant side questions are workshopped by Hunch users. Only the most helpful decision questions are promoted by the Hunch to the community at large.
My thoughts: Hunch does a good job of presenting you with relevant things to consider when you’re making a decision. For example, when I was looking for an answer to the question “Should I get an MBA?”, Hunch asked me the following question:
Hunch asks very relevant questions to help you figure out what you want.
Drawbacks to Hunch mostly center around its immaturity as a community. For example, there is a limited number of questions. The results aren’t always so helpful. (Hunch said there was a 34% chance I should skip B school and get a certification even though there is no professional certification that would help me achieve my professional goals.) Addtionally, Hunch will always have a hard time when its users don’t have clear cut answers to its side questions. Many people are conflicted about the factors that lead to a decision and a web tool will never be able to probe the depths of complex emotions. However, the service is getting better and will continually give you new things to think about as you struggle with a hard decision.
Low Tech Decision Making: Index Cards
My good friend David was recently deciding between graduate school in Texas, where he was from, and San Diego, where he had never been. He was torn because studying in his home state was attractive and safe but California was nevertheless tempting.
After much agonizing over the decision, he turned to his fiance Oona for help. She got out two index cards and wrote out the names of the schools down on the cards. Oona then mixed the cards up and held them in front of David so that he couldn’t see what school each card represented. At that point she said:
“There’s obviously no clear cut choice for what the best answer is. So we’re going to have to leave it up to chance. Pick one of these cards and we’re going to go wherever it says.”
Feeling the pressure mount, David picked one and waited for Oona to show it to him. But she didn’t. She said: “What do you want this card to say?” They talked about it for a while but David still wasn’t able to answer the question.
Oona then flipped card, revealing that it said San Diego, and immediately asked, “Did you just feel a rush in your blood or a sinking feeling in your stomach?” David had felt a rush of excitement. They are now moving to California in August.
I love this technique because it brings the decision out of the conscious realm. It can be very hard to decide with your gut when you have an active intellect that is constantly weighing options and consequences. However, this technique obviously requires a bit of suspension of disbelief. Would Oona really insist upon living in Texas if the cards dictated that decision of David’s sinking stomach? Obviously not. But in that immediate moment, David believed it enough to experience a visceral reaction upon hearing that they were going to San Diego.
