You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don’t think about who you have been. What are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision conscientiously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.
Anthony Robbins
Decision-making is about the process of making choices among alternative courses of action. One can distinguish between two types of decision-making – strategic decision-making, and tactical and operational decision-making. Strategic decisions are fewer, have long-term implications and are usually the concern of top management. Tactical and operational decisions, on the other hand, are more frequent, have shorter time-horizons and are usually the concern of middle management.
This article discusses two main approaches to decision-making – the analytical approach which is the traditional approach; and the creative approach which requires venturing into the unknown to produce bold, creative and innovative solutions.
The analytical approach
The traditional approach to decision-making is usually