This page is the original text introducing the Decision Exploration System, but the first version that was based around a PDF that people could print off. I’m just leaving it online so it can be referred to if needed.

This is the original text of the original page:

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Thank you for looking at the PDF I sent through. It should be fairly self-explanatory, but these notes and the video of an example run through should be enough to get you started, if only to provide feedback on what’s missing. I use an example filled in PDF in that introductory video, if you promise to use it as a mere example, and not as a immutable template, you can download it here.

Why does this exist?

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I’ll do a little more here than reiterate the points in the PDF, but the reason I’m trying out this system is based on the following points:

• We can all get stuck in mental loops, a friend recently used the term “whirlpools”, believing that if you think hard enough at a situation or problem that you can resolve it, but you just end up deeper and deeper into your existing thoughts. So if you can’t resolve the problem with more effort, coming at it from a different angle will help you find an actual solution.
• I’ve been told that I have a talent for devising systems or methods or games, or simply asking the right questions, that help people see new options. Putting this together is part of an effort to finally determine if that’s true or not.
• A lot of decision making practices and methods focus solely on the self, and on the next step that you or your organisation should take. This system forces you to do two things beyond that:
  • Consider the responses of at least four different entities, be they people or organisations. Which means you have to take their point of view, and look at your scenario from their point of view. This is a key benefit of wargames to me, not just considering another’s position in relation to your own, but actually putting yourself into their position and making decisions as though you are them, if only for a very short amount of time.
  • Consider the whole spectrum of responses those entities might make. This forces you to go beyond default assumptions of how others will react, which is another “loop breaker”.
• As per my work with Matt Ballantine on Random The Book, I’m increasingly interested in the benefits of using randomness. In this case, to break out of that predictive habit, you’re not trying to predict one specific reaction that others will make, in the end a dice roll does that for you. This takes away your responsibility to get the answer right, and forces you to explore what might happen. ( technically, this simple method forces you to briefly consider 1296 possible outcomes rather than just one or two )
• A lot of systems thinking practices are relatively complex, and difficult to get into. I think many of them are worth the effort, but that can be difficult to see when you look at how much reading and research and expense is involved. This method is designed to be simple to pick up, so that more people can see the benefit of using any kind of formal method to think through a situation - which will hopefully encourage them to engage with more complex and comprehensive systems. ( I know a good source of introductory training in systems thinking, do contact me if you’re interested ).
• And, to be honest with those of you who’ve spent the time reading all of these bullet points, I’ve several half-complete projects. This one surfaced in discussions with my business coach as one I genuinely wanted to finish, and it’s useful to me to see how much more work it takes to finish a project, but also that that’s something I’m capable of.

How are you meant to use it?

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At this stage, there’s no real additional instructions here, as the PDF should be enough to make sense to the reader, and it’s useful for me to know if it stands without additional explanation. Just follow the prompts, reading top to bottom and left to right.

The instructions around the responses from the “entities” are intentionally vague, in the expectation that the user will find the right tone that suits their scenario. Feedback on that expectation is welcome, as methods around decision making tend not to give the user that degree of freedom, in my limited experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

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When a few people find the system useful I can see this section expanding. If there’s a question you have please do ask, that will help me see what I’ve missed, and once I’ve come up with an answer for you I can include it here for the benefit of everyone else too. So just one so far:

• Is it me? No, it’s not you, please explain what’s confusing or perplexing you so I can answer you, and share that answer with others.