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  • 1.  Executive decision making

    Posted 12-17-2002 09:52
    William,

    First, be clear about the differences between decision making by government
    executives and decision making by other executives (the heads of Columbian
    drug cartels, for example). Government executives must honor many more
    "givens" or constraints than do other executives and are more sensitive to
    Type 1 and Type 2 errors than are the "commercial cowboys".

    Second, be aware that there are two distinct schools of thought about
    decision making. The more prevalent is the "rational thinker" school.
    However, Dr. Gary Klein and associates www.decisionmaking.com have shown
    that many people arrive at courses of action in a quite different way.
    Executives do some of both so your competency development session should
    cover both.

    Interesting sources of courses, besides Dr. Klein, are Kepner Tregoe or Eli
    Goldratt, father of Theory of Constraints. For a course more customized to
    your specific executives you may want to contact Dr. Ed McMahon,
    emcmahon@worldnet.att.net.

    I have no business affiliation with any of the parties mentioned above.

    Good luck.

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Automatic digest processor" <LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
    To: "Recipients of MG-ED-DV digests" <MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
    Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 10:44 PM
    Subject: MG-ED-DV Digest - 15 Dec 2002 to 16 Dec 2002 (#2002-262)


    > There is one message totalling 54 lines in this issue.
    >
    > Topics of the day:
    >
    > 1. Executive Decision Making Training?
    >
    > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    >
    > Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 16:10:45 -0500
    > From: "Weech, William A" <WeechWA@state.gov>
    > Subject: Executive Decision Making Training?
    >
    > I have often felt that I don't really belong on this list, since most list
    > members appear to be academics and I am not. However, I now have challenge
    > that I know many list members will be well-qualified to advise me on. My
    > organization is thinking about creating a course in executive decision
    > making. I'd be interested in hearing about the experiences of others who
    > have been involved in anything similar. I'll post a summary of the
    comments
    > I receive to the list, if there is sufficient interest.
    >
    > Some background may be in order. The idea for this seminar came from a
    > review of our competency model and our training curriculum. Our competency
    > model says that we want leaders with good decision-making skills but our
    > curriculum does not have a course that directly addresses this competency.
    > We notice that some of the organizations we benchmark ourselves against DO
    > have courses in executive decision making. We have not yet asked any real
    > live executives in our organization what they might find useful in this
    > area. If this project moves forward, however, we will certainly will do
    some
    > organization-specific needs assessment before we design any program.
    >
    > My questions for those of you who been involved in similar projects
    include
    > the following:
    > * What were the objectives of your executive decision making training
    > program?
    > * How long was your executive decision making training program?
    > * What models, tools, content, or activities did you cover in the
    > training program?
    > * Some organizations appear to offer decision making for executives
    > and problem solving for everybody else. What's the difference? Does it
    make
    > sense to limit a decision making course to executives only? Why or why
    not?
    > * What else do you think I should know before I pursue a project to
    > design and deliver a course in decision making for actual executives?
    >
    > Just to be clear - if we do design and deliver this course, it will be for
    > federal executives - NOT for graduate students in organizational behavior
    or
    > management science!
    >
    > Thanks in advance for any information or ideas you care to share.
    >
    > William A. Weech (WeechWA@state.gov)
    > Leadership and Management School
    > Foreign Service Institute
    > Intranet: http://fsiweb.fsi.state.gov
    > Telephone: (703) 302-7198
    > > This e-mail is UNCLASSIFIED based on definitions provided in Executive
    > > Order 12958.
    > >
    >
    > ------------------------------
    >
    > End of MG-ED-DV Digest - 15 Dec 2002 to 16 Dec 2002 (#2002-262)
    > ***************************************************************
    >
    >


  • 2.  Executive decision making

    Posted 12-18-2002 09:10
    Hi William

    I have had some good success with executives using materials from Victor
    Vroom's decision making model. He has these materials for sale for
    training and development purposes. He also is a frequent consultant to
    the government at very high executive levels using his model. His e-mail
    is victor.vroom@yale.edu should you want to contact him.

    Best,
    Bill

    Jack Ring wrote:

    >William,
    >
    >First, be clear about the differences between decision making by government
    >executives and decision making by other executives (the heads of Columbian
    >drug cartels, for example). Government executives must honor many more
    >"givens" or constraints than do other executives and are more sensitive to
    >Type 1 and Type 2 errors than are the "commercial cowboys".
    >
    >Second, be aware that there are two distinct schools of thought about
    >decision making. The more prevalent is the "rational thinker" school.
    >However, Dr. Gary Klein and associates www.decisionmaking.com have shown
    >that many people arrive at courses of action in a quite different way.
    >Executives do some of both so your competency development session should
    >cover both.
    >
    >Interesting sources of courses, besides Dr. Klein, are Kepner Tregoe or Eli
    >Goldratt, father of Theory of Constraints. For a course more customized to
    >your specific executives you may want to contact Dr. Ed McMahon,
    >emcmahon@worldnet.att.net.
    >
    >I have no business affiliation with any of the parties mentioned above.
    >
    >Good luck.
    >
    >----- Original Message -----
    >From: "Automatic digest processor" <LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
    >To: "Recipients of MG-ED-DV digests" <MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
    >Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 10:44 PM
    >Subject: MG-ED-DV Digest - 15 Dec 2002 to 16 Dec 2002 (#2002-262)
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >>There is one message totalling 54 lines in this issue.
    >>
    >>Topics of the day:
    >>
    >> 1. Executive Decision Making Training?
    >>
    >>----------------------------------------------------------------------
    >>
    >>Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 16:10:45 -0500
    >>From: "Weech, William A" <WeechWA@state.gov>
    >>Subject: Executive Decision Making Training?
    >>
    >>I have often felt that I don't really belong on this list, since most list
    >>members appear to be academics and I am not. However, I now have challenge
    >>that I know many list members will be well-qualified to advise me on. My
    >>organization is thinking about creating a course in executive decision
    >>making. I'd be interested in hearing about the experiences of others who
    >>have been involved in anything similar. I'll post a summary of the
    >>
    >>
    >comments
    >
    >
    >>I receive to the list, if there is sufficient interest.
    >>
    >>Some background may be in order. The idea for this seminar came from a
    >>review of our competency model and our training curriculum. Our competency
    >>model says that we want leaders with good decision-making skills but our
    >>curriculum does not have a course that directly addresses this competency.
    >>We notice that some of the organizations we benchmark ourselves against DO
    >>have courses in executive decision making. We have not yet asked any real
    >>live executives in our organization what they might find useful in this
    >>area. If this project moves forward, however, we will certainly will do
    >>
    >>
    >some
    >
    >
    >>organization-specific needs assessment before we design any program.
    >>
    >>My questions for those of you who been involved in similar projects
    >>
    >>
    >include
    >
    >
    >>the following:
    >>* What were the objectives of your executive decision making training
    >>program?
    >>* How long was your executive decision making training program?
    >>* What models, tools, content, or activities did you cover in the
    >>training program?
    >>* Some organizations appear to offer decision making for executives
    >>and problem solving for everybody else. What's the difference? Does it
    >>
    >>
    >make
    >
    >
    >>sense to limit a decision making course to executives only? Why or why
    >>
    >>
    >not?
    >
    >
    >>* What else do you think I should know before I pursue a project to
    >>design and deliver a course in decision making for actual executives?
    >>
    >>Just to be clear - if we do design and deliver this course, it will be for
    >>federal executives - NOT for graduate students in organizational behavior
    >>
    >>
    >or
    >
    >
    >>management science!
    >>
    >>Thanks in advance for any information or ideas you care to share.
    >>
    >>William A. Weech (WeechWA@state.gov)
    >>Leadership and Management School
    >>Foreign Service Institute
    >>Intranet: http://fsiweb.fsi.state.gov
    >>Telephone: (703) 302-7198
    >>
    >>
    >>>This e-mail is UNCLASSIFIED based on definitions provided in Executive
    >>>Order 12958.
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>------------------------------
    >>
    >>End of MG-ED-DV Digest - 15 Dec 2002 to 16 Dec 2002 (#2002-262)
    >>***************************************************************
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >
    >
    >
    >


  • 3.  Executive Decision Making

    Posted 12-19-2002 08:40
    I heartily agree. I was greatly enlightened about management decision
    making by Vic in the early 1970's at GE Crotonville . Would have cited him,
    too, but thought he had retired. Apparently just ivy'd over. Be sure to
    check into his work.
    Cheers,

    ----- Original Message -----
    > Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 09:10:08 -0500
    > From: Bill Ferris <bferris@wnec.edu>
    > Subject: Re: Executive decision making
    >
    > Hi William
    >
    > I have had some good success with executives using materials from Victor
    > Vroom's decision making model. He has these materials for sale for
    > training and development purposes. He also is a frequent consultant to
    > the government at very high executive levels using his model. His e-mail
    > is victor.vroom@yale.edu should you want to contact him.
    >
    > Best,
    > Bill
    >
    > Jack Ring wrote:
    >
    > >William,
    > >
    > >First, be clear about the differences between decision making by
    government
    > >executives and decision making by other executives (the heads of
    Columbian
    > >drug cartels, for example). Government executives must honor many more
    > >"givens" or constraints than do other executives and are more sensitive
    to
    > >Type 1 and Type 2 errors than are the "commercial cowboys".
    > >
    > >Second, be aware that there are two distinct schools of thought about
    > >decision making. The more prevalent is the "rational thinker" school.
    > >However, Dr. Gary Klein and associates www.decisionmaking.com have shown
    > >that many people arrive at courses of action in a quite different way.
    > >Executives do some of both so your competency development session should
    > >cover both.
    > >
    > >Interesting sources of courses, besides Dr. Klein, are Kepner Tregoe or
    Eli
    > >Goldratt, father of Theory of Constraints. For a course more customized
    to
    > >your specific executives you may want to contact Dr. Ed McMahon,
    > >emcmahon@worldnet.att.net.
    > >
    > >I have no business affiliation with any of the parties mentioned above.
    > >
    > >Good luck.