Decisive: How to make better choices in life and work

by Chip Heath

CHAPTER TWO IN ONE PAGE Avoid a Narrow Frame 1. Teenagers get trapped in a narrow frame. They are blind to their choices. “Should I go to the party or not?” 2. Unfortunately, most organizations tend to make decisions like teenagers. Quaker lost $1.5 billion in three years on the Snapple acquisition. Nutt research: Only 29% of organizations considered more than one alternative (versus 30% of teens). 3. Often our options are far more plentiful than we think. College-selection counselor Price helps students explore their full range of options. 4. Why do we get stuck in a narrow frame? Focusing on our current options means that other things are out of our spotlight. Frederick got stuck choosing between two stereos—he failed to consider his other options. 5. How do we escape a narrow frame? Think about opportunity cost. Keep the $14.99 for other purchases. Eisenhower: One bomber = a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. 6. Or try the Vanishing Options Test: What if your current options disappeared? Margaret Sanders realized she had a better option than firing Anna, the introverted receptionist. When our options “disappear,” we’re forced to move our spotlights. 7. It’s easier to spot a narrow frame from the outside—watch for it as a decision adviser. “Whether or not” decisions should set off warning bells.