This exercise reviews the various compromises people make that can result in less than optimal decisions.

Supervisors frequently have neither the time nor the desire to follow all the steps of the rational decision$-$making process. Even if they want to follow all the steps, it may be difficult to think of all possible alternatives or gather all the data available about each. Sometimes, there just isn't a clearly preferable alternative. Therefore, supenvisors, like all other decision makers, make compromises resulting in less than optimal decisions. Although less than perfect, these decisions are ones the supervisors can at least live with. It is helpful if supervisors are aware of the common compromises used in decision making so they can recognize when they are using them.