Effective decision making in the defence industry

Decision making is one of the most important functions performed by a manager in the defence industry. Decision‐making authority is increasingly being delegated to the “empowered” employees of leaner organizations. The future profitability and viability of the business depend on effective decision making. Explores what constitutes a decision, identifies some obstacles to prompt action, sets the criteria for good quality decisions and gives examples of decision‐making approaches. Emphasizes approaches that incorporate both intuitive and rational thinking, encourage consensus and provide a way to monitor results for feedback. The principles for effective decision making in the defence industry are the same for other industries and apply to personal life. However, the last decade’s changes in defence spending and the global economy make the quality and timeliness of decisions more critical to success than ever before.