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Why Decisions Fail Paperback – July 15, 2002

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Paul C Nutt (Author)
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 332 pages
  • Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1 edition (July 15, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1576751503
  • ISBN-13: 978-1576751503
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.8 x 9.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #411,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsAvoid Debacles
By Craig L. Howe on October 23, 2002
Format: Paperback
If we can accept Microsoft's statistic that more than 74 percent of the projects undertaken by business are behind schedule or result in failure, costing more than $74 billion a year, then this book is a bargain.
Ohio State University Professor Paul C. Nutt, who has spent more than 20 years studying how decision are made, says failures can be traced to three blunders and seven traps. Avoiding the blunders and the traps they set will cut one's failure rate significantly.
The blunders to avoid:
* Failure-Prone Practices
* Premature Commitments
* Wrong-Headed Investments.
These blunders lead unsuspecting managers into seven ensnaring traps:
* Failure to Reconcile Claims
* Failure to Manage the Forces Created by a Decision
* Ambiguous Directions
* Limited Search with No Innovation
* Misuse of Evaluation
* Avoidance of Ethic Questions
* Failure to Learn.
Sounds simple; yet anyone who has participated in a project recognizes these blunders and traps. In fact, most of us could supply the author with reams of case studies to add to the ones he uses to illustrate his points.
This is a great book and should be read by project managers and corporate managers alike. Microsoft's number may seem high, but there is no doubt we participate in too many projects that spiral behind schedule and over-budget. Good decision making techniques can only help improve our results.
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3.0 out of 5 starsGood, but has some isues
By Amy Russell on September 21, 2010
Format: Paperback
This book has some good examples and insights, but it could be better organized. I like the focus on step-by-step decision making processes, as well as the summary of key points at the end of each chapter. Many of the points are common sense, but seeing the way things play out in practice is helpful.

There are some punctuation issues and tense shifts, which are distracting, but the most glaring issue is the author's habit of mentioning an example briefly and then dropping it, only to return a few pages or chapters later, and then switching among several examples before returning to discuss the decision theory. The narrative thread can get pretty muddled at times. I wish he had chosen a structure and stuck to it (give example then use it to illustrate the theory; give theory then explain using an example; explain theory and example together; etc.) as he progressed through each section. Also, the author will drop casual references to things like product recalls and business conditions from the seventies and eighties, as though any reader would remember them. The book reads like it was written (probably over years) and then completely reorganized without being rewritten. It would really benefit from a thorough revision and restructuring.
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4.0 out of 5 starsA Keeper (even with some issues)
By Critical Grad on October 24, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I was assigned this book as part of a Master's degree course. Without having anything to gain from writing this review, let me just say that I fully recommend it to any faculty member looking for a good communication or business supplemental text.

Paul Nutt does the following well:
-Introduce concepts and best practices that can be utilized in any field
-Apply said concepts to a series of well-publicized blunders
-Explain how these concepts apply to these situations and how best practices would mitigate disaster in these situations

What Could be better:
-As another review said, the organization could have been better for this book, and it could benefit from a stronger introduction which helps to explain the structure of the book a little more.
-I also picked up a few typos and incorrect tense uses.

This is one of the few text books I plan to keep and even hold as a communication reference.
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4.0 out of 5 starsA very good book that needs updating
By Joseph N. Scudder on December 14, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This book has insights about decision making that are found in few other places. The examples, however, could include some newer ones that have happened since the book was written.
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5.0 out of 5 starsRequired Reading for Executives
By M. Rigg on May 29, 2008
Format: Paperback
We often learn more from those who fail than those who succeed. The value in this book is in learning how to avoid using poor decision making techniques. As the founder of an Inc. 500 consulting company, I've seen executives and managers across many companies fall into these decision pitfalls described by the author. This is a great, if somewhat laborious, read on how to make better decisions. If you're continually amazed at how poorly people make decisions, I think you'll enjoy the book.
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