Whether you’ve had to spearhead a website migration, improve social media performance or grapple with the AI of it all, rational decision-making skills can help marketers map a path forward in changing times.
Rational, or comprehensive decision making, is about carefully defining the problem, generating multiple solutions, comparing those solutions, then selecting the best of course action, says Michael Roberto, professor of management at Bryant University.
But what does rational decision making really entail, and how can it be applied to a range of challenges you might face over the course of your marketing career? Ahead, learn from experts on the art of rational decision making.
What is rational decision making?
Like Roberto explains, rational decision making is an analytical process that compares and reviews various strategies and paths that could accomplish the same outcome.
In fact, gaining clarity on the goal is one of the first key steps, says Bruce Carruthers, professor of sociology at Northwestern University. Without this, you might find yourself in a tailspin, dizzied by a flurry of scenarios and potential outcomes.
Once you've defined the goal, you can map out your plans. Each potential strategy should be fully thought out and cover things like other teams that might need to provide support or if you'll need any new tools. (May we suggest Wix Studio?)
After the various plans are firmed up, they’re analyzed and compared. “Decision makers have to identify their options: What are the different directions they can go in? What's plan A, plan B and plan C?” says Carruthers. “What specific actions constitute each plan? What resources or personnel need to be deployed in pursuit of each?”
This approach might seem familiar, obvious or maybe even innate. That’s where the difference between rational decision making comes in: it’s the opposite of following your instincts.
Rational decision making suggests that marketers check assumptions at the door and approach each challenge or goal with fresh eyes, without bias or expectation.
We’ve all been there: You know what works and it’s simplest to keep doing more of the same. Don’t fix what’s not broken, and so on. This attitude is diametrically opposed to rational decision making, which is centered on methodical analysis and comparison, guided by a desired outcome.
After laying out potential avenues to achieve the goal, Carruthers says that the next step in rational decision making includes taking each road all the way to the end: “For each of these options, what difference will they make in the future? If the decision maker can’t be certain about what will happen, then they need to figure out what outcomes are likely, and what is the probability of occurrence,” he says.
This is where tapping into a-b testing, AI tools and colleague input can be useful. For example, if you determine the best way to achieve a goal relies on engineering resources, but the team is currently underwater for the remainder of the fiscal year, an alternative path, pending that you’re under the wire, might be a better match.
The benefits of rational decision making
Broadly, Roberto and Carruthers say that there’s plenty to be gained by using rational decision-making methods to land on a path forward. Chief among them, is that goals are accomplished in a deliberate and orderly manner.
Roberto says that using this technique helps decision makers avoid solely relying on their intuition and emotions.
“The benefits [of rational decision making] largely have to do with potential pitfalls of employing a more intuitive process,” he says. These pitfalls can include confirmation bias, where an idea is chosen because it supports our hunches, and sunk-cost effect, which involves continuing on with an existing strategy, even if there’s a better option available, simply because the current plan is underway, and time and resources have been invested.
Still, as Carruthers points out, just because you identify the best strategy for your company, team or client, doesn’t inherently mean you’ll achieve what you set out to do. “The decision-maker can only control what they do, not what others do,” he says, referring to competitors. “In real life, there are few ‘sure things.’” Sorry about that.
Ready to try rational decision making?
So, you’ve decided to give rational decision making a shot. Great. Let's see how the strategy plays out using a real-world example.
Say your client's website traffic has plummeted, and you’ve been tasked with remedying the issue—and growing it. Now what?
Below, check out how this process can be applied to this common digital marketing scenario.
01. Identify the problem
Seems simple enough, right? Well, kinda. If you were following your instincts, and ignoring rational decision-making processes, you might gather high-level overviews and consider this step complete.
But in rational decision making, you’ll get sharp on potential culprits that are contributing to the problem. Tap into your data analytics team, observe any larger market trends (for example, the changing social media landscape), anything that might be getting you dinged by Google, and so forth. Consider this step your information-gathering stage.
02. Clarify the goal
With intel on what might be causing your low web traffic, work with fellow stakeholders to drill into the goal. For example, what benchmarks can you agree upon that will signal traffic is turning around? What timeframe do you want to start seeing growth? What traffic sources do you want to rely on? Once you have a clear map of what success looks like, you’re ready to start planning. For many, this might seem totally second nature—caught ya! Be sure to take a step back and review data for new angles, tapping into the expertise of your colleagues for added context on why this matters.
03. Plan, plan and plan some more
Are we having fun yet? We’re about to. This is where you begin to put together your options. For example:
Plan A. What if you enhanced the mobile version? Work with your design and product counterparts to determine how much time this will require and any additional resources to make this happen. Then, work with your SEO and data analyst to model out how your traffic might be impacted while this transition is underway, and projected traffic growth once the project is complete. Dig into contingencies that might impact the execution of this project.
Plan B: Actually, nevermind. Newsletters are where it's at. Follow your strategy through: How much does launching a newsletter cost? What frequency is best? Who’s most likely to read the newsletter? What heatmapping technology can you deploy to the newsletter to analyze its efficacy? And so on.
Plan C: Just kidding. You want to double down on SEO and create content that ranks. Do you currently have the right SEO tools in place?
If you’re set on applying rational decision making, this is where you will want to think beyond what’s worked in the past, or what might make your boss, client or shareholders happy, and conceive ideas that stretch beyond predictable strategies, while incorporating best practices.
04. Review your plans
Once you’ve finalized several solid plans—and how they might lead to your desired outcome—run through the strategies. View the strategies from a range of angles and seek input from stakeholders and team members. What contingency plans can be implemented if you encounter issues?
To successfully apply the rational decision-making method, be sure to analyze the white space around each of these plans. What factors might impede on success here? With each plan, what might have to be sacrificed in order to execute them? What might be lost? Kick any “pie in the sky” verbiage to the curb and stick with as much data-informed and vetted feedback to guide your plan development and selection.
05. Select a winner
Congrats! You’ve finalized which plan makes the most sense for your brand and budget. You’re now free to move about the cabin…err, start executing your plan. But the fun doesn’t stop there.
06. Stay sharp
How many times have you made a decision, deployed a strategy and let it run in perpetuity? That's not in line with rational decision making. Instead, set up a system of checks and balances to review your plan’s performance. Remember, you want to steer clear of that sunk-cost effect, even for your shiny new plan. And, while you’re at it, maybe keep a contingency plan or two in your back pocket if something comes up.
07. Review your plan’s performance
Once you’ve reached your goal or maxed out your budget, work with your teams to grasp what worked and what didn’t. Maintaining a free flow of communication and sharing learnings across your team is fundamental to maintaining a positive work environment and learning more about how you can replicate or change future strategies.
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