Cheryl Strauss Einhorn is the founder and CEO of Decisive, a decision sciences company using her AREA Method decision-making system for individuals, companies, and nonprofits to solve complex problems. Decisive offers digital tools and in-person training, workshops, coaching, and consulting. Ms. Strauss Einhorn also teaches as an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School and Cornell Tech. She has won several journalism awards for her investigative stories about international political, business, and economic topics. She’s authored two books on complex problem solving: “Problem Solved,” for personal and professional decisions; and “Investing In Financial Research” about business, financial, and investment decisions. Ms. Strauss Einhorn is writing a new book about different decision-making approaches entitled “How You Decide.”
Researching and Analyzing Information to Make Your DecisionCornell Course
Course Overview
This course explores the Relative, Exploration, Exploitation, and Analysis phases of AREA and provides guided processes for applying each phase to a complex decision. Using your work from the Absolute phase, you'll now research sources related to your decision to put it into a broader context. Next, you will conduct interviews in the Exploration phase. In Exploitation, you will confront your assumptions and judgments with evidence. Finally, in the Analysis phase, you will determine what your data can and can't tell you and consider how your decision might go awry or fail so that you may better ensure your decision success.
Note: Enjoy your digital copy of Cheryl Strauss Einhorn's e-book “Problem Solved” (New Jersey: Career Press, 2017), included with this course. While it is not necessary to read the book to successfully complete this course, this book will provide you with detailed case studies and a wealth of resources to assist your problem-solving and decision skill-building. You will continue to have access to the book as a reference after you have completed this course. If you would like to purchase a hard copy of the book, it is available from The Cornell Store or anywhere you buy books.
The following course is required to be completed before taking this course:
- JCB442: Framing and Breaking Down Complex Problems
Key Course Takeaways
- Put your problem into context (Relative)
- Identify sources and conduct interviews (Exploration)
- Strength-test and make your decision (Exploitation and Analysis)
How It Works
Course Author
Who Should Enroll
- Current and aspiring managers
- Senior executives
- Department heads (marketing, strategy, operations)
- Consumers
- Business consultants
- Life coaches
- Analysts and systems thinkers
- Entrepreneurs
- Engineers
- Wealth managers
- Investors
- Research directors
- Recent college graduates looking for best practices in decision-making
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