Everyone needs to make decisions at some stage in their life, be it at work, at home or in social environments. Defining the objective, interviewing individuals, gathering the information/ facts and making appropriate decisions based on these inputs could mean the difference between success and failure. The manner in which you deal with information, feedback and the decisions you make can have a profound effect on your personal and business life. Each of us has it in them to improve the way they deal with information and make decisions.

This course introduces you to the concepts of interviewing, information gathering, structuring, and decision making and dealing with deadlines.

OBJECTIVES

• Setting the objective.
• Identifying various information sources.
• Gathering the information and facts, including interviews
• Structuring the findings.
• Drawing conclusions.
• Learn to make decisions.

OUTLINE

• Setting the objective
  o Identifying issues;
  o Identifying the decision making purpose;
  o Whose objective is it?
  o Setting time scales.
• Identifying information sources
  o In company
  o External
  o Web
  o Sharing information.
• Gathering information
  o Do it yourself
  o Get assistance
  o Formal research
  o Web
• Interviewing Individuals
  o The art and science of the effective interview
  o Questioning Techniques
  o Feedback
  o Dealing with senior executives
  o Team interviewing
• Using analytical methods
  o SWOT
  o Generating ideas – brainstorming.
• Structuring the findings
  o Structure the findings for the decision;
  o Accompanied by presentation, report etc;
  o Format and style.
• Drawing conclusions
  o What does it mean to you?
  o Is it appropriate for the target audience?
• Decision making
  o Understanding the contextual environment;
  o Responsibility and accountability;
  o What is the appropriate level of detail;
  o Taking action.