STATUS- QUO TRAP CAN BE REDUCED BY

USING THE FOLLOWING TECHNIQUES

• Never think of the status quo as your only alternative.

• Evaluate the status-quo and alternatives against your
objectives.
• Remember change is inevitable.
• Force yourself to choose a better options even if it is more
complicated.
 SUNK COST- TRAP
A tendency for a people to irrationally follow
through on an activity that is not meeting their
expectations.

THE ANTIDOTES

• Get views of people who were not involved in

the original decision.
• Remind yourself that even the best managers
make mistakes
• Don't encourage failure-fearing
• Set performance target.
Confirming evidence trap

Trap- seeking out biased advice

or information that supports a
particular option and
discounting any opposing
information.
THE ANTIDOTES

• Avoid ‘yes-man’

• Examining all evidences with equal rigor.

• ask a respected colleague to argue against your potential

decision
 FRAMING TRAP

MERCURY
SATURN
Saturn is the ringed planet
and a gas giant

Framing trap Focus on gain versus losses Frames with different reference point
ESTIMATING AND FORECASTING
TRAP
OVERCONFIDENCE TRAP
 CONCLUSION

• In making decisions, your own mind may be your worst enemy.

• The best protection against all psychological traps is awareness .

• Must study available alternatives, collect right

information and weigh costs and benefits accurately.
 REFERENCE

John Hammond, Ralph Kearney & Howard Raffia March (1998). The
Hidden Traps in Decision Making: Harvard Business Review On Point, 1 to
11.

https://hbr.org/1998/09/the-hidden-traps-in-decision-making-2