Decision-Making: Blending Art & Science
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Decision-Making: Blending Art & Science
This course is part of Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making Specialization
Instructor: Sydney Finkelstein
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What you'll learn
How our brains work and how we make decisions
What experience means for decision-making
How to identify our emotional biases and overcome them
How to put it all together to make better decisions
Details to know
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There are 4 modules in this course
Why do smart people sometimes think they are right when they are very, very wrong? Our brains are designed to make quick decisions, and sometimes we miss out on what’s really going on. Knowing this, Professor Sydney Finkelstein walks you through the neuroscience behind decision-making, and teaches you to make conscious decisions that are right for you at work and in life. By teaching you to reflect and move forward even better than before, Professor Finkelstein will help you to be the best you possibly can at whatever you do.
What's included
8 videos5 readings3 assignments
8 videos•Total 55 minutes
- The Art and Science of Making Great Decisions•5 minutes
- The Role of Emotions in Decision-Making•11 minutes
- We Are Our History•8 minutes
- Sony Acquires Columbia Pictures - The Role of Betamax•3 minutes
- Debrief - Lessons and Insights from the Sony Case Study•7 minutes
- "One Plan at a Time" Decision-Making•6 minutes
- Why Diversity Wins•7 minutes
- The Power of Empathy in Understanding Others•8 minutes
5 readings•Total 114 minutes
- The Jockey and the Horse•10 minutes
- Case Study - Sony Acquires Columbia Pictures•10 minutes
- Note on Beta, Sony, and Columbia Pictures•10 minutes
- Podcast - The Sydcast Episode 112. What It Takes to be a Woman in Leadership, with Julie Quenneville, October 24, 2021•10 minutes
- Podcast - The Sydcast Episode 114. Uncolonized Latinas: A New Way Forward, with Valeria Aloe, November 7, 2021•74 minutes
3 assignments•Total 120 minutes
- Application Exercise - Your Own Story•30 minutes
- Case Study Assignment - Sony Acquires Columbia Pictures•60 minutes
- Application Exercise - Your Own Story, Revisited•30 minutes
What's included
9 videos3 readings4 assignments
9 videos•Total 63 minutes
- Learning the Right Lessons from Your Experience•11 minutes
- One More Example on Experience•9 minutes
- Quaker Oats and Snapple - What Went Wrong?•6 minutes
- Debrief - Lessons and Insights from the Quaker-Snapple Case Study•5 minutes
- It's Not So Easy Being an Expert•4 minutes
- How to Take on the Expertise Trap•8 minutes
- When's the Last Time You Were Surprised?•8 minutes
- British Petroleum and the Deepwater Horizon Case Study•3 minutes
- Debrief - Lessons and Insights from the British Petroleum and the Deep Water Horizon Case Study Debrief•8 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
- Case Study - Quaker Oats and Snapple•10 minutes
- Are You Happy? It Depends on What You're Expecting•10 minutes
- Case Study - British Petroleum and the Deepwater Horizon•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 195 minutes
- Case Study Assignment - Analyzing Quaker Oats and Snapple•60 minutes
- Application Exercise - Seven Warning Signs That You've Fallen into the Expertise Trap•30 minutes
- Application Exercise - Manufacturing Surprises•45 minutes
- Case Study Assignment - British Petroleum and the Deepwater Horizon•60 minutes
What's included
7 videos3 readings5 assignments
7 videos•Total 62 minutes
- Self-Interest - Our Subconscious at Work•10 minutes
- Emotional Attachments•11 minutes
- How Do You Know When Attachments Become Something to Worry About?•3 minutes
- Why We All Like to Make Pre-Judgments About... Everything!•9 minutes
- The Data Fallacy•7 minutes
- The Incredible Story of Hurricane Katrina•9 minutes
- Debrief - Lessons and Insights from the Hurricane Katrina Case Study•12 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
- Case Study - Hurricane Katrina - What Took So Long?•10 minutes
- Guess Who's Right?•10 minutes
- Types of Mistakes - False Positives and False Negatives•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 225 minutes
- Application Exercise - Attachments in Your Work Life•30 minutes
- Application Exercise - Attachments & "Kicking the Tires"•45 minutes
- Application Exercise - Pre-Judgments•45 minutes
- Application Exercise - Personal Examples•45 minutes
- Case Study Assignment - Hurricane Katrina - What Took So Long?•60 minutes
What's included
4 videos5 readings4 assignments
4 videos•Total 37 minutes
- Goal-Setting - Bypassing the Five Most Common Mistakes•12 minutes
- How to Make Better Decisions•8 minutes
- A Few More Tips on Making Good Decisions and Avoiding Bad Ones•7 minutes
- Safeguards•9 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Millennials and the Mission Trap•10 minutes
- Safeguards - Experience, Data, and Analysis Checklist•10 minutes
- Safeguards - Group Debate and Challenge Checklist•10 minutes
- Safeguards - Governance Checklist•10 minutes
- Safeguards - Monitoring Checklist•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 180 minutes
- Application Exercise - Your Organization's or Team's Goals•45 minutes
- Application Exercise - Your Personal Goals•45 minutes
- Application Exercise - Checking Your Assumptions•45 minutes
- Case Study Assignment - Revisiting Hurricane Katrina•45 minutes
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Reviewed on Jan 9, 2025
Really great insights and case studies, enjoyed having the different views and reviews
Reviewed on Nov 23, 2025
Excellent content and delivery. A lot of clear insight and reflection through application and other exercises.
Reviewed on Jun 28, 2023
The course is great and very helpful with my skills at work.
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