Decision Making
The way an organization and individuals choose between options in operational situations.
What it means
Decision making involves gathering information, assessing risk, and choosing a course of action. In technical operations, it's often about deciding quickly and under pressure with incomplete data.
Why it matters
The quality of decision making determines safety, cost, and operational reliability. When the person who made the calls leaves, it's not just their work that disappears — it's the decision-making standard itself.
A real-world example
When a pump fails, the choice is between repairing it on the fly or shutting it down. An experienced manager also factors in the equipment's history — something you won't find written down anywhere.
The reasoning process an experienced person follows to arrive at the right decision.
A structured decision tree that maps out options and their consequences.
Systematically finding and eliminating the root cause of a problem.
Experience gained from long-term work with a specific operation and its deviations.
Positions where the most important operational and decision-making know-how is concentrated.