Make effective decisions — in business and in life.
Effective decision making is key to success in the workplace and beyond. In organizations, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making are among the most important tasks people perform on a daily basis. However, increasing levels of complexity can put a significant strain on our judgement, often leading to poor choices that can have a long-term impact.
The Decision Making online program will equip you with the skills needed to make better, more effective decisions within your sphere of influence. Over six weeks, you’ll gain a framework for understanding decisions across a range of contexts, from business strategy to policy.
Learn from world-class subject matter experts as you explore the cognitive processes, psychological, and behavioral foundations that form the basis of decision making. Throughout the program, you’ll learn to analyze your choices using the three core pillars of decision making (context, uncertainty, and time), as you investigate theoretical models underpinning decisions and engage in discussions with a global network of professionals.
You’ll examine the use of mental shortcuts called heuristics. You’ll also explore the most notable biases people have and how to circumvent them. By the end of the program, you’ll walk away with a better understanding of decision-making processes that will help you avoid pitfalls and make effective decisions in both your career and personal life.
The class equips you with the tools to better understand yourself and some great techniques for bringing biases to consciousness for more informed and ultimately more beneficial decisions.
About the Program
What to Expect
- Discover the cognitive processes involved in decision making
- Explore how choices are influenced by decision frames, points of reference, and information load
- Investigate the role of heuristics and biases in decision making
- Learn the ways in which risk and uncertainty impact decisions
- Analyze the temporal dimension of decision making
- Gain the ability to make more effective decisions both personally and professionally
- Find out how to avoid common pitfalls in decision making and analyze decisions using multiple lenses
Who Should Attend
- Business leaders looking for the tools to make informed, strategic decisions in the face of uncertainty
- Seasoned professionals who want to move ahead in their careers by making stronger decisions
- Individuals in fast-paced industries such as marketing, IT, finance, and business development
- Anyone who wants to improve their critical thinking and judgment in everyday life
Agenda
Modules are released on a weekly basis and can be completed in your own time and at your own pace.
- Orientation module
- Module 1: Principles of decision making
- Module 2: Context and choice in decision making
- Module 3: Context and decision rules
- Module 4: Decision making under risk and uncertainty
- Module 5: Time in decision making
- Module 6: Integrating context, uncertainty, and time
I started with a very basic knowledge of decision-making and the ways in which our decisions can be biased. I'm leaving with a much more robust and varied understanding that I can use going forward in both personal and professional contexts.
Faculty
Program Convener
Gal Zauberman
Joseph F. Cullman, 3rd Professor of Marketing
Areas of Expertise: Behavioral Economics, Consumer Behavior, Creativity, Decision-making Methodology, Online Marketing
Read the full bio
Professor Gal Zauberman studies judgment and decision making, and behavioral economics. He has researched the factors that affect individuals' evaluations, preferences, and choice, with specific interest in the role of time in decisions and experiences. He has published articles in leading marketing and psychology journals and received international media coverage, including the New York Times, Scientific American, and others. He won numerous awards, including the William O’Dell and the Paul Green best paper awards, and the Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Consumer Psychology.
Registration Information
Program Details
Registration ends: April 29, 2025
Program starts with orientation: May 07, 2025
There are no prerequisites for this program. Register to get started. Our online program collaborator, GetSmarter, will welcome you and guide you through the steps to secure your place in the program.
Program Fee Assistance
A program fee reduction of 15% is available for those working in the nonprofit or government sectors; Yale University alumni; small groups of 3-6; and those who have previously participated in a Yale Executive Education program with Yale SOM or 2U/GetSmarter.*
*Discounts cannot be combined.
This program does not qualify for veteran financial aid or veterans benefits at this time.
Program Collaborator
This program is presented entirely online in collaboration with leaders in digital education, GetSmarter, a 2U, Inc. brand. Technology meets academic rigor in GetSmarter’s people-mediated model, which enables lifelong learners across the globe to obtain industry-relevant skills that are certified by the world’s most reputable academic institutions. This interactive, supportive teaching model is designed for busy professionals and results in unprecedented certification rates for online programs.
View the Decision Making online program on the GetSmarter website.
Modules are released on a weekly basis and can be completed in your own time and at your own pace.