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Strategic Decision Making for Small Business Leaders

Name: Strategic Decision Making for Small Business Leaders
Rating: 4.4 (13 reviews)

Build a Simple Framework to Make Better Decisions, Prioritize Effectively, and Act with Confidence

Created byRebecca Brizi

Last updated 6/2026

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Break any business decision into clear stages (from defining the problem to committing and following through).
Break any business decision into clear stages (from defining the problem to committing and following through).
Recognize common psychological traps and adjust your decisions accordingly.
Choose and use the right decision tool for different types of decisions like annual planning, hiring, or changing services.
Develop critical thinking skills to spot risks early and recognize real opportunities.
Build a toolkit of decision-making frameworks you can apply to different business situations.
Collect and interpret the right data to support clear, evidence-based decisions.
Strengthen your communication and collaboration skills so decision-making becomes faster, clearer, and more aligned across your team.

Course content

9 sections • 38 lectures • 1h 54m total length

Welcome to the World of Business Decisions2:49
Hear the story behind this course — and explore why every business, regardless of size, runs on the quality of its decisions.
Why You Should Take This Course: Boost Your Skills3:14
See how one powerful decision can transform a business, through a practical story and real-world example.
With this lesson you will learn to recognize the direct impact of decision-making skills on performance, growth, and professional confidence
The Decision-Making Framework: A Course Overview0:50
Know what to expect from this course and be ready to apply the process systematically to decisions in your business.

Explaining Decision Making in Business4:25
What are "decisions"? Are we talking about choosing where to go for lunch or deciding how to sign off on an email?
Understand what decision making in business means, why executives spend nearly 40% of their time just making decisions, and how inefficient decision making costs a typical fortune 500 company, about 530,000 days
of a manager's time every year.
From Vision to Action: Common Business Decisions2:52
Examine examples of decision types that appear across departments — marketing, operations, finance, and people management.
The Decision Hierarchy: Strategic, Tactical, & Operational5:38
Explore the three tiers of business decisions — from high-level strategy to day-to-day actions — and how they connect.
Can you differentiate Strategic, Tactical, and Operational decisions?
Effective Decision Making: Principles & Practices3:03
Learn why the true value of a decision lies in its consequences, or what happens next.
Understand how to anticipate the consequence of your decisions, and you will be building better strategies for decision making.

The Decision Maker’s Toolkit: Building the Foundation1:41
Understand the stages every effective decision-maker follows, from defining objectives to evaluating outcomes.
Is This Really the Problem? A Critical First Step6:26
Practice tracing problems to their root cause and setting decisions up for successful outcomes.
Defining the Goal of This Decision0:39
Starting at the end: know your goal as step 1 in decision making
Understanding What Triggered the Need2:37
Each decision stems from a problem, question, or change. The first thing you have to do is understand that prompt, or trigger.
Exploring the Possibilities: Identifying Decision Options2:39
Once you understand your trigger, or problem, you can start to select your best options for a solution. In this lesson learn to list at least three possible options for the decision
Choosing the Criteria You Will Use to Compare Options2:10
Learn to select decision making criteria that match the decision and its goal
Ready to Take Action: Let's Begin0:51

Understanding Business Gains1:39
This decision making framework has two main parts. In this lesson I introduce the first part: how to evaluate gains. Learn:
What we mean by "gains"
The system you will use to review them
Employee Happiness: A Key Business Gain2:22
Happiness is great. But in business, happiness of your employees and people is more than just a nice to have. In this lesson learn
How to understand a gain in happiness
How to see it happen
How to calculate it
Business Growth: Anything Good That Increases2:48
Advancement in business is about growth: any growth associated with your strategic goals. In this lesson learn:
How to understand a gain in growth
How to see it happen
How to calculate it
Cash Flow Growth: Understand What Cashflow vs Revenue3:33
Cash is not the same as revenue. And cash is a fairly short-term consideration. But it is important to understand. In this lesson, learn:
How to understand a gain in cash
How to see it happen
How to calculate it
Future Options: Giving Your Business More Opportunities3:10
Options are good. Gaining options in your business means more than growth. Find out what it is, and also learn:
How to understand a gain in options
How to see it happen
How to calculate it
Can you identify your gain categories?

Understanding Decision-Driven Losses3:25
It's nice to calculate what you have gained, but you can't ignore the opposite: what you could lose. The lesson covers:
An introduction to understanding losses
Why you have to consider them
And tips on how to follow the rest of the section
Decoding Financial Losses: Understanding Their Impact1:44
First we look at losses in Money. This is not the same as cash. In this lesson learn:
How to understand a loss in money
How to calculate it
Quality Shortfalls: Identifying and Mitigating Business Losses2:05
Money is pretty easy to quantify. Can you do the same with Quality?
You can now.
In this lesson learn:
How to understand a loss in quality
How to calculate it
Time Losses in Business: Impact on Your Bottom Line2:00
How do you measure time in your business? Time is about more than hours and minutes, it's about money and resources too. In this lesson learn:
How to understand a loss in time
How to calculate it

Deciding with Confidence: Effective Choices3:57
It is time to bring it all together and make your final decision. In this lesson learn:
How to apply the framework to multiple options
How to compare your results with colleagues
What needs to happen next
Complicated or Complex? How to Distinguish and Approach Each1:18
It is important to know and understand the difference between complicated and complex. In this lesson learn
How to tell these two apart
How to recognize if your problem is complicated or complex
How to resolve both types of issues
The Anatomy of a Bad Decision: What Not to Do1:14
Sometimes it is helpful to understand what NOT to do, so you don't fall into any bad traps.
In this lesson learn 4 ways to make bad decisions.
Outro1:40

Decision Noise: What Else Is Going On In Your Brain?3:45
What is decision noise and how does it affect your business decision making?
When to Trust Your Gut: Instinct and Data4:00
What does it mean to "trust your gut"? Should you do it?
A little bit.
In this lesson learn
What your instinct is
The difference between instinct, impulse, and data
How to use instinct in business
Decision Fatigue: Give Your Brain a Break2:34
Decision fatigue is fairly common and normal in day to day work. But it can also be dangerous. Find ways to minimize it.

Navigating Decision-Making Frameworks: A Toolkit for Better Decisions1:31
Throughout this course we have focused on understanding decisions and going through a specific framework for decision making in business.
There are, however, many decision making models.
In this section you will learn about the most common ones out there, and how they relate to or are used with the Gains & Losses model you have just learned.
At the end of it all: which model gives you the best solutions?
The Pre-Mortem Model: Anticipating Failure to Ensure Success5:54
Explore the pre-mortem model for strategic decision-making to anticipate failure by visualizing disaster scenarios or a problems list, identify root causes, and build countermeasures before launching a project.
From Root to Leaf: A Guide to Using Decision Trees6:41
Explore how decision trees map options from a root node to leaf outcomes, using yes/no branches, probabilities, and financial versus qualitative considerations to guide strategic decisions.
Identify key elements of decision trees
Decision Matrix 101: Weighing Criteria6:16
Paired Comparison Analysis: Prioritizing Options5:25
PEST Analysis Explained: Assessing External Factors for Better Decisions4:00
Explore PEST analysis as a tool to map political, economic, social, and technological factors (and optionally legal and environmental) that shape decisions, guide SWOT insights, and reveal opportunities and threats.
How to Use the Descartes Square to Make Smarter Choices1:51
Use the Descartes Square to compare up to three options through four scenarios, weighing outcomes, consequences, and status quo with gains and losses analysis for the most disruptive-free choice.

Requirements

The time and desire to make a long term fix to your business
This is an intro course, so no prior training is required

Description

To be successful in business, you have to make good decisions.

Transform the way you make business decisions with a practical, results-driven framework designed for small business owners, managers, and team leaders.

This course shows you how to turn decision making into a practical, repeatable business tactic. You will learn how to understand different types of business decisions, use a simple framework to weigh gains and losses, and apply that system to real situations like planning, hiring, and investing—so you can make confident, consistent decisions every time.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Analyze business challenges using a structured decision-making framework.
Evaluate pros, cons, and trade-offs of potential choices.
Predict short- and long-term impacts of your decisions.
Distinguish between what you can control and what you must adapt to.
Facilitate productive monthly strategy meetings.

Through step-by-step lessons and downloadable worksheets, you’ll practice applying these frameworks to your real business scenarios, so you can make clear, confident choices that move your business forward.

Who Should Enroll:

Whether you’re running a business, managing operations, or leading a team, you’re responsible for strategic decisions and their outcomes. This course is designed for anyone in a decision-making role seeking to enhance their strategic skills.

Join me to transform your decision-making process and drive success in your business endeavors!

What students are saying:

Jaimie C.: "Very informative."

Mary H.: "Enjoyed the practice using the framework on a change made this year."

Anita E.: "Excellent presenter."

Karyl F.: "Good course, clear explanations."

Who this course is for:

Small business owners who want a reliable way to make decisions about pricing, hiring, investments, and strategy
Professionals who need a repeatable system instead of relying on gut feeling alone.
Team managers and supervisors responsible for day-to-day and tactical decisions when leading their teams
Business leaders and directors who make high-impact strategic decisions about risk, opportunity, and long-term goals
Freelancers and solo professionals who constantly decide which clients to take, what services to offer, and where to invest their limited time and money
Aspiring consultants and coaches who help others make business decisions and need a simple, teachable framework they can use with clients
Professionals influential in decision making (HR, finance, operations, marketing) who strongly shape decisions, and want tools to analyze options, present clear recommendations, and contribute in decision-making discussions.

Strategic Decision Making for Small Business Leaders

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction: The Power of Decision-Making3 lectures • 7min

Pre-Game: Understanding the world of Business Decisions4 lectures • 16min

Stages of Decision Making7 lectures • 17min

Identifying and Measuring Business Gains5 lectures • 14min

Losses: Understanding the Costs of Decision Making4 lectures • 9min

From Theory to Practice: How to Effectively Apply Course Material4 lectures • 8min

The Psychology of Decision Making3 lectures • 10min

Decision-Making Models Unveiled: Tools for Success7 lectures • 32min

Types of Decisions1 lecture • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: