Decision Diagnostic

About you
Please enter your contact details below to access our Decision Diagnostic and learn more about several traps that can derail your thinking. We'll email you a custom report. (Note: We're committed to protecting your privacy and we do not share your information with 3rd parties. If you'd like to know more, please review our Privacy Policy.)
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Let's diagnose a decision!
Before starting the diagnostic, identify a decision that you are in the process of making right now, or will be needing to make sometime soon. Your decision can either be work-related or personal. The more challenging the decision, the more valuable you will find this process.

After you answer a set of questions about your decision, you’ll learn about several traps you might watch out for, and also have access to quick videos that illuminate each trap and give you tips for avoiding it.

This diagnostic offers you a sampling of traps and strategies from the Decision Mojo™ learning experience. We hope you will find it valuable!
Briefly describe the decision you are considering:*
To prime your thinking, consider a decision like one of these examples:

• Should I accept a promotion and move to a new job/city or stay where I am?
• Should I commit to a budget decision and spend the money or reject the proposal?
• Should we change the way we're doing things even though we've invested a lot on our current methodology?

You will need to keep this decision in mind as you review each of the following questions.

Watch out for traps
Your responses are measured against our criteria for 6 common traps. A higher score of indicates one or more of these decision-making traps might be affecting your thinking.
The questions
Keep the specific decision you described in mind as you consider these questions.
Will this decision involve a significant change?*
- Yes, it will.
- No, not really.
Can you live with the current situation?*
- Yes.
- No.
Will you be changing from something that has been longstanding?*
- Yes.
- No.

Have significant investments of time, money or other resources been made in the area of the decision?*
- Yes, there's been investment to get to what we have now.
- No, not a big investment yet.

OK. As you make this decision, which of these is more of a concern?*
- I'm more worried about doing nothing.
- I'm more worried about doing something, and getting it wrong.

Could this decision mean giving up something that is valuable?*
- Yes.
- No.

Will it be easy to undo the decision if you think you've made a mistake?*
- Yes.
- Not easy, but it can be changed if it's really needed.
- No, it won't.

Are there a lot of possible options to consider?*
- No, only a few.
- Yes, there are many.

And is there time pressure to make the decision?*
- No, we have some time.
- Yes, some pressure.
- A lot. The decision is needed fast.

Is there a lot of information out there related to this decision to sift through?*
- Yes.
- There's a fair amount of information to look at.
- No, not really.

Are you clear on what information is most important to make this decision effectively?*
- Yes.
- I think I'm partly clear
- No, not really.

Have you considered perspectives or evidence that challenges your thinking?*
- Yes, I have.
- Some.
- Not really. It hasn't come up.

Will you be using forecasts or estimates in making the decision?*
- Yes, I will.
- No.

And will there be negotiation involved?*
- Yes, definitely.
- There'll be some.
- No.

Do you have a lot of expertise in the area of the decision?*
- Yes, I have quite a bit of expertise.
- I have a little expertise.
- No, I don't have a lot of experience with this situation.

Do you have a strong opinion about what the right decision is?*
- Yes.
- No, not really.

OK, last question! As you make this decision, are you drawing on past experience with similar decisions?*
- Yes.
- Not really.

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Trap - Information Overdose Score
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Adjustment - Information Overdose Score
Add 3 points to Info Overdose IF they chose NO for Are you clear on most important information. (No = 0 for other traps)
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Adjustment - Information Overdose Score
Add 2 points to Info Overdose IF they chose PARTLY for Are you clear on most important info. (Partly = 0 for other traps)
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Adjustment - Information Overdose Score
Add 2 points to Info Overdose IF they chose NO for Do you have a lot of expertise. (No = 0 for other traps)
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Adjustment - Information Overdose Score
Add 1 point to Info Overdose IF they chose NO for Is there time pressure? (No = 0 for other traps)
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Total - Information Overdose Score/13
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Percentage for Information Overdose
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Total - Confirming Evidence /18
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Percentage for Confirming Evidence
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Total - Overconfidence Score/11
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Percentage for Overconfidence
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Trap - Anchoring Score
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Adjustment - Anchoring Score
Add 3 points to Info Anchoring IF they chose YES for Will you be using forecasts or estimates? (No = 0 for other traps, yes = 4 for other trap)
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Adjustment - Anchoring Score
Add 3 points to Info Anchoring IF they chose No for Do you have a lot of experience with this situation?
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Total - Anchoring Score/10
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Percentage for Anchoring
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Trap - Status Quo Score
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Adjustment - Status Quo Score
Subtract 2 points to Status Quo IF they chose Doing Nothing is biggest worry ( = 0 for other traps)
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Total - Status Quo Score/18
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Percentage for Status Quo
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Trap - Loss Aversion/Sunk Cost Score
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Adjustment - Loss Aversion Score
Add 2 more points to Loss Aversion IF they chose YES for important or longstanding decision ( = 0 for other traps)
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Adjustment - Loss Aversion Score
Changed to reflect actual score - no adjustment
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Total - Loss Aversion Score/12
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Percentage for Loss Aversion
The Traps
Based on your answers, you will want to review the following traps that are likely to affect your decision. Be sure to click the button at the end to receive your Decision Diagnostic Report with your score for each trap.
Information Overdose
Information Overdose
WHY IT MATTERS FOR THIS DECISION: From the answers you gave, several things suggest that Information Overdose may be at play in your decision:

• You have a lot of options to consider
• There is a lot of information to sift through as you make the decision.
• You think that if you dig deep enough, you may find the “gold nugget” of information that will yield THE answer.
The Confirming Evidence Trap
Confirming Evidence
WHY IT MATTERS FOR THIS DECISION: From your answers, several things point to Confirming Evidence as a trap to watch for in your decision:

• There may be time pressure for the decision, and/or it might be a complex situation with many options to choose from.
• You may have a preconceived position, or hold a strong opinion on what is the right answer.
The Overconfidence Trap
Overconfidence
WHY IT MATTERS FOR THIS DECISION: Your answers suggest several reasons why the Overconfidence trap may be likely in this decision:

• You may be working with estimates and forecasts where the numbers provide an illusion of certainty, or setting schedules that gloss over execution challenges, where it is easy to be overconfident about what can be done, and what will happen.
• If you have a certain level of expertise: As expertise/ experience increases, over-confidence in decision-making rises.
The Anchoring Trap
Anchoring
WHY IT MATTERS FOR THIS DECISION: Your answers point to several reasons why the Anchoring trap may be likely in this decision:

• The decision involves estimating, forecasting or negotiating: The first number mentioned often serves to “anchor” one’s thinking.
• In situations where one has little expertise or knowledge, and there is complexity or uncertainty, our thinking often latches onto whatever will provide something ‘solid’ upon which to base a decision.
The Status Quo Trap
Status Quo
WHY IT MATTERS FOR THIS DECISION: Some of your answers suggest that you should watch for the Status Quo trap in your decision:

• There are a lot of choices. The more overwhelming the number of choices, the stronger the status quo bias.
• This decision involves a change, potentially from something you’ve invested in.
• You may not be in a position to take a risk Status Quo Trap is more prevalent in organizations where sins of commission are punished more than sins of omission.
The Loss Aversion/Sunk Score Trap
Loss Aversion/Sunk Cost
WHY IT MATTERS FOR THIS DECISION: Your answers suggest several reasons to watch for the Loss Aversion/Sunk Cost Trap in this decision:

• Your decision may involve changing direction from an area where significant investments have already been made.
• There is the potential for giving up something of valuable in the decision.
• Watch for this trap when deciding about something you are acquiring or own.
Congratulations!
You’ve apparently steered clear of all 6 of the more common traps in this diagnostic. To help you build your skills, here's more information about 2 common traps and how to avoid them:
Confirming Evidence
WHY IT MATTERS:

• There may be time pressure for the decision, and/or it might be a complex situation with many options to choose from.
• You may have a preconceived position, or hold a strong opinion on what is the right answer.

Information Overdose
WHY IT MATTERS:

• You have a lot of options to consider
• There is a lot of information to sift through as you make the decision.
• You think that if you dig deep enough, you may find the “gold nugget” of information that will yield THE answer.
Important! Get your report.
When you've finished watching the quick video(s) above, click the button below to complete your diagnostic and receive a full report with your scores, traps you may be at risk for, and tips for overcoming them. Please be patient. It may take a minute for our server to process your scores and format your report.

Diagnose a decision you're considering now!

Step 1 of 17

About you

Let's diagnose a decision!

Watch out for traps

The questions

The Traps

Information Overdose

Information Overdose

The Confirming Evidence Trap

Confirming Evidence

The Overconfidence Trap

Overconfidence

The Anchoring Trap

Anchoring

The Status Quo Trap

Status Quo

The Loss Aversion/Sunk Score Trap

Loss Aversion/Sunk Cost

Congratulations!

Confirming Evidence

Information Overdose

Important! Get your report.