Other Decision-making Approaches

THEE's Framework

THEE identifies seven discrete and incompatible approaches to making decisions as shown in the box.

● Imaginist
● Structuralist
● Systemicist	~R&T's Strategist
● Dialectic
● Pragmatist
● Empiricist	~R&T's Expert
● Rationalist	~R&T's Achiever

Explore More Deeply

See the the posted decision-making framework and derived frameworks dealing with achievement, both personal and organizational. You can also download an academic paperpublished in 1989.

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Opposing Demands on Leaders

Explanation of the TET (2x2 Table)

The decision approaches can be plotted on a 2x2 Table (called a TET) in relation to how much they are focused on: ► the task — the X-axis (i.e. organizational goals and deliverables) and ► the person — the Y-Axis (i.e. views, values, feelings of people). As the Y axis is ascended, people are handled ■impersonally, then ■instrumentally, then ■socially and finally ■personally.

Note that two very different sets of approaches lie along the diagonals. The two opposing sets are:

● systematic-controlling-comprehensive decision methods
● rapid-responsive-sensitive decision methods

Leadership occurs within a reality that is inherently messy, unknowable, unpredictable, and uncontrollable. So leaders need one decision approach from each diagonal to handle the two opposite types of work demand.

Pairing Decision Methods

Pairing them as shown allows the leader to maintain either the same degree of task orientation (vertical lines) or the same degree of person orientation (horizontal line).

For any leader, one of the decision methods must be pragmatic because it is easy to use and emphasizes immediate responsive action.

► The combination with pragmatism is what turns Rationalists into Directors (= R&T's Achievers)

► The same applies to the Expert leader: my preference is to label such a person as a hard-nosed no-nonsense bottom-line focusedboss.

THEE on Handling People

Although the Expert Boss may be impersonal and therefore tough and unpleasant, that must not be allowed to obscure recognition of a capacity to lead and achieve for a business. By contrast, the Strategist can lead vigorously with a similar impersonal pragmatism because the systemicist component provides for high inter-personal sensitivity.

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• Were any leadership categories related to these methods missed by R&T?

Last Updated: 23-Jan-2013