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Ecaterina Sanalatii

Consultant, MooD International

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What is the key to smarter decisions?

My question to the TED community is what is the key to smarter decisions?

As individuals, how can we make smarter decisions in everyday life?
How is this different in business decision making?
Can we help others make a better decision or should this be done out of own will?

Topics: Decisions Smarter better life decision making
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  • Brent Baldwin

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    Nov 1 2012: I believe the key to smarter decisions is to suspend our current beliefs and look at what is really happening, without emotional attachment or preconceived ideas. Without an open mind it is impossible to increase your level of conscious awareness. An open mind gives careful consideration to new ideas or ways of looking at old and new problems.

    Too many of us are prisoners of our perception or more accurately, prisoners of our deceptions. When we start to interpret and mold situations to fit perceived values or condemn situations because they don’t agree with a long established set of limiting beliefs, we find ourselves in conflict, sometimes attempting to defend the indefensible. A lifetime of beliefs, no matter how poorly founded, can often be defended with such vigor that they take on the appearance of fact or being right.

    Smarter decisions require an open mind; a mind that asks “is there a better way?” Our mindsets and habits have evolved over our lifetime and patience and persistence is essential if we are going to committ to better decisions. Being open and receptive to new thoughts, beliefs or consciousness must start with an open mind and an open heart. Decisions are rarely black and white or carved in stone an open mind and some critical thinking are the order of the day if we want to personally change.
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    Alyson MacDonald

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    Nov 1 2012: As a individual I think we can make smarter decisions by taking the time to think about options and the results of those options. With the time to make a fully thought out decision we can commit to our decision and therefore make smarter decisions.
    Business decisions also need time to be thought out but these decisions should be made with other co-workers or "experts" in the areas that needs to be decided on.
    We can help other people make smarter decisions by helping them look at the big picture and all the different angles that they could take with the decision, but we should never push our perspectives onto a individual.
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    Yuddandi Sivasubramanyam

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    Nov 1 2012: Decision making is purely based on confidence. you must have clarity in matter/subject, perspective vision besides pros and cons of result. you must be prepared for any unforeseen eventuality into consideration. we are not supernatural power/energy. make sure you will not care for third party comments. fear factor is mainly responsible to get involved in decision making. never have dual mind as well never accommodate interference of another mind. be brave and stick to your decision. be accountable, transparent. held the entire responsibility of failure to your own and success to your team.
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    Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

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    Oct 31 2012: One needs to overcome the fear of making mistakes. Smart people do make mistakes but they learn from it.
    If you want to learn to fail successfully and to handle the mistakes you do make in a way that will be extremely benefitial; then you need to be honest to yourself about your mistakes and weaknesses; you need to accept mistakes as a price of progress; and more importantly, you need to scrutinize the unsuccessful approach in order to know the lessons to be learned.
    When it comes to success, it is not the number of mistakes you make; it is the number of times you make the same mistake.
    We can help others by encouraging them to ask the right questions; but it is better to allow them to decide and to take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions.
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    Bill Matthies

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    Oct 31 2012: Very simple. We don't plan to (make smarter decisions.)
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    Theodore A. Hoppe 200+

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    Oct 31 2012: The 18 tips offered here are worth considering:
    http://www.umakes.com/pages/view/28689/18-tips-on-making-smarter-decisions
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      Ecaterina Sanalatii 10+

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      TED Translator
      Nov 1 2012: Theodore, thanks for sharing. However, I think there are two conflicting points within the list in the article:

      "Adopting someone else's perspective helps us make smarter decisions." and "Most people get it wrong when trying to take others' perspectives."
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        Theodore A. Hoppe 200+

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        Nov 1 2012: The two points you are asking about are really the same point, I'll explain.
        It can be helpful to imagine ourself in the point of view of others to understand why others act as they do and not as we think they should. (Adopting someone else's perspective) But this can be a difficult thing to do so we might avoid doing it, perhaps not do it actively, or we might let a form of conditioned thinking prevent us from fully considering the other. (Most people get it wrong )

        There is a saying, Walk a mile in someone else shoes. It means, try and put yourself in another person's situation if you what to understand them. This is what can help us make better decisions.

  • George QT

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    Oct 31 2012: There are two ways you can make smarter decisions, one by sheer luck; you chose the best option with limited knowledge of the consequences of every option available and then it turned out to be the best decision possible. The other is by fully knowing the consequences of each option and then choosing the more suitable. So basically you need better knowledge tools (intelligence), but you also need a very well calibrated system to ponder the pros and cons of every option at hand (experience), because the best knowledge wont give you the best decision possible if you are not able to properly measure the pros and cons. And finally you need to have your priorities sorted (vision) otherwise you may end up making the right decision at the wrong time.

  • Ed Schulte 50+

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    Oct 29 2012: http://www.scientificamerican.com/sciammind/

  • Tiaan Zyl

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    Oct 29 2012: If asked a question, take 5-10 seconds to think about what you are going to answer. By thinking through your answer, you can give the correct information, in the correct way.

    The ability to make smart decisions is a combination between intellect and past experience. General knowledge helps you in the quick question, quick answer situation. Reading, reading and more reading is a great way to increase your general knowledge (and spelling, which people seem to be lacking)

  • Kyle Kozma 500+

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    TEDx Organizer
    Oct 29 2012: I think to answer this question we need to look through the frame of the individual. For some -work/life are marred together in one. What happens in everyday life would directly influence ones success in business. For example, wanting to be a more competent public speaker will influence your success and confidence in business environments but it is a decison you need to make in every day life - to practice.

    In order to make smarter decisions we need to have a goal that's achievable, a distant bubble. I have several distant bubbles, one of mine is this - "to create positive change through the privatized sector". My work/life are directly related to each other and I identify my work with who I am and what I love. This helps me make smarter decisions, and provides guidance to me over a longer period.

  • khalid alarabi

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    Oct 29 2012: Your question is difficult and has no clear answer, When a person makes a decision, he studied by many aspects and emotions interfere in most of our decisions so we need to key as you said manages the decision-making process.
    We need a day to make decisions that may affect our lives forever, so I think the key is to consult experts or of trust in the wisdom and good study aspects of the decision and choose the resolution that contains the amount of a few of the consequences or the negatives.
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    Arkady Grudzinsky 50+

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    Oct 29 2012: Experience and education. Mostly, experience.
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    Jim Moonan 30+

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    Oct 29 2012: You've asked a key question, the answer of which makes it more or less likely that you will live a full life.
    When it comes to important decisions, your ability to evaluate the consequences of your decision before making it is prerequisite to making good decisions.
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    Bharath Kumar Kunjibettu 10+

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    Oct 26 2012: Wrong decisions from self and wrong decisions by others enable us to be cautious and take smarter decisions as we move forward in life ....

  • Qab Dqab

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    Oct 25 2012: Not sure what the answer to your question is, however this great little talk helps to highlight why it is a lot harder than one may think!

    http://www.ted.com/talks/david_pizarro_the_strange_politics_of_disgust.html
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    Luis Javier López Arredondo

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    Oct 25 2012: We cannot focus on making smarter decisions, just take risks and accept theiir consecuences.

    Sometimes silliest ideas are the greatest.
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    Sam Rock

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    Oct 25 2012: Hi... Ecaterina Sanalatii.
    Smart decisions are the decisions you take spontaneously and at the correct time. There is difference between the good and smart decision. If you are thinking its impacts etc. then its a good decision but sometimes we take many decisions which are not good but we feel that "Thank God i took this decision,

  • jejomar bargoza

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    Oct 25 2012: Smarter decision.
    It is simple and yet complex.You need to have wisdom and in order to attain it,you must educate yourself about the effects and the morals that an idea/decision holds,morals meaning the benefit of an idea for all.You need to reflect upon an idea repeatedly and think of the consequences and effects that an idea holds.A great thinker always think morally,for the good of all.Every thought we make affects the world directly and indirectly/law of attraction.

    Smarter decision is made of thinking with great unselfishness,and morally.
    in order to attain it you must have a clear mind and be in higher state of consciousness.
    I suggest meditation.
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    Paila Race

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    Oct 25 2012: to make smarter decisions. is go by what you feel is right, listening to yourself and giving yourself the time to think to yourself, "Is this really what i want to do, is this what i choose to do, does this feel right, do i feel good about making this decision?" ultimately its up to how you feel, and through experience be they good or bad, you learn...either way...through failure you learn the most and gain the most experience, thus making those smarter more wiser decisions in my opinion.
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    R H 20+

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    Oct 24 2012: There is much research on 'decision making' and what makes for a 'good' decision. Many books have been written, many classes have been taught, on how to make them. 'The key' to me is not how they are determined, but how they are received and/or implemented. We do not live in a vacuum, so our actions (decisions) are being assimilated into the group. How our decisions effect that group (including our personal world) will reflect whether a decision is a 'smart' one or not - in my opinion.
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      Ecaterina Sanalatii 10+

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      TED Translator
      Oct 24 2012: Very interesting thoughts. What do you think constitutes leading research in this area?
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        R H 20+

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        Oct 25 2012: Oh, guys/gals with PhD's who study this stuff. One has to have credentials to have the credibility to have their work considered "leading research".
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    cst commonsense

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    Oct 23 2012: Easy! Its all about educating & training young people 'fully'. We don't do this at all. Its easy because it just needs application of the things we already know. Why don't we do it? Because we do not make smart decisions now.

    So, its the key smart decision we need to make NOW - to train and educate ALL young people fully - and this means mind, body, creativity, ability to think for themselves - 'fit for life' There is simply no other answer. I have developed specific ideas of exactly how we achieve this profound change in education and training:

    See 'Super Fast Track' - for the ones we have just missed out (17 to 22)

    http://www.commonsensethinking.co.uk/sft.html

    And Fit For Life - for all ages (4 to 16)

    http://www.commonsensethinking.co.uk/education.html

    So there is no excuse for us not to have 'smart decisions' in the future - and they WILL understand what it means too!

    Lets get on with it - its a world changer, and by definition THE future of the human race.

    JP
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    Danger Lampost 10+

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    Oct 22 2012: Ecaterina, would you be able to clarify what you mean by a smarter decision?

    For me, the crux of your question is around how you define a smarter or better decision. An implicit question which I'll ask explicitly is: Smarter than what? How do you know it's smarter or better? According to whom? Given two possible decisions, is it always clear which one is smarter?

    In answering your question, I would start with an analysis of what a smarter decision is and how we know it's smarter, before going into how we can make smarter decisions. But before doing that I would love to know what you mean by a smarter decision.
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    Girdhari Asawa

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    Oct 22 2012: All the decisions that one make can never be smarter. Only time tells whether the decision taken at some point of time was correct (i.e., smart) or incorrect (i.e., not so smart). When one makes a decision, depending upon one's background, education, experience, knowledge and experience about the matter itself etc. one takes a decision. Thereafter, whether the decision taken was a smart one or not would also depend upon how the developments take place. The so-called non-smart decisions work as lessons of life and help one to make smarter decisions in future.
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    Robert Winner 50+

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    Oct 17 2012: Louise, We have learned from history that leaders are surrounded with power hungry and often psycotic advisors. G Gordon Liddy, Rhom Emanual, the early Cardinals of the Catholic church to name some of the recent and past examples who could care less about the "people". The problem rests with the people who elect leaders who have no idea of world economics, diplomacy, cause and effect, and could care less about ramifications to his constitutes.

    US leaders are driven by party platforms, election funding, big money donors, their obsations, ego, and their place in history.

    In todays administration FAST AND FURIOUS cost billions above the local budget and yet they want us to believe they were unaware. We have become 15 trillion in debit with a projection of another 5 trillion next year. We have insullted most friendly nations and lost some allies due to no foreign policy and lack of diplomacy. Our President has argued publicly with Sec State that the capital of Isreal is Jerusalem (a musllim belief), and bows to kings. Cap and Trade is being implemented through Executive order, have started with a AAA credit rating and currently have a aa- rating, etc ... the least transparent leadership ever. Joe the Plumber could have seen that almost all of these are dangerous and red flags all over them.

    These are what we know and are not argument but prove that leaders have agendas and obsations that we have no control over and no advisor could stop. As a rule you and I would pick a advisor that is in agreement with our "plan".

    Hitler wrote a book that few read ..... Obama wrote a book that some read and did not understand. Both put forth plans and thoughts that we should have recognized.

    Re-election should be based on what your record is ... the other guy should only be able to state what he would change and how. Voters should remove politicians nest eggs.

    Sorry for the soap box ... but I have a belly full of lies.

    All the best. Bob.
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    Karen Dai

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    Oct 17 2012: The decisions in daily life can be made just based on your life experience and try a different way randomly sometimes to see if it's different end. Coz those decisions in everyday life are not that important . I don't mean the smarter decision depends on being more efficient or something, i mean it depends on making your whole life comfy in long-term and little surprise comes from randomly choices.
    Business decision is totally different . It needs professional skills.
    And when helping other to make a better decision just remember don's force them to accept YOUR thought or experience, just inspire them to find their own choice through inspirational questions.
    That's my opinion :-)

  • Kristinann Guill

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    Oct 17 2012: The smartest decision will be the one that gives the maker the most satisfaction. If the maker is not sure it will not be a good decision. This is supported by our individual and unique experiences. Customers who like what they buy are happy with their decision. Those who make a hasty selection are not, thus making a bad decision. Those who cannot decide make no selection until they are happy with one.
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    Vincenzo Sergi

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    Oct 17 2012: Smart decision simply means that it is an educated decision. Otherwise it can never be a smart decision. An educated decision is always the smartest one. The more you know the subject or object etc.. the smarter the decision. Without all of this, it becomes only a decision.
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