# Staging the Decision By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-03-09 Organizations engage in situation manipulation when it comes to decision-making meetings. In standard terms, this is known as “stacking the deck.” The effort is designed to do what one can do to change the probabilities of success in one’s favor. To the extent that business is about winning by any means necessary, there is little to note here. However, if one takes a broader view of business and organizations, something is worthy of attention. Perhaps the most apparent way organizations manipulate a situation is by deciding who is included and excluded from a meeting. Inclusion decisions are often based on determining the degree to which an individual will contribute to the desired outcome. It is important to note that people who might add value by bringing to discussion the uncertainty of the outcome or complexity of the issue are often excluded. Focusing on uncertainty and complexity is seldom beneficial if one attempts to convince another of a given course of action. At least initially. These aspects will eventually come to light through execution. Many people could march forward under the banner, “We picked this course not because it was easy, but because we thought it was easy.” Is organizational success getting the outcome one wants only to find out they wouldn’t have picked it if they knew better? If so, then excluding people from meetings makes sense. If the purpose of organizations is to make the best strategic decisions based on the most critical understanding of the issues, then excluding “troublemakers” from meetings is likely a shortsighted decision. Staging the decision is not the same as staging the outcome. It is relatively easy to manipulate events to get the desired decision. It is more difficult to manage project execution in such a way that one achieves the desired outcome. The tactics used to stage the decision can impede achieving the outcome. Organizations engage in this manipulation at their peril. #### Related Items [[Organization]] [[Decision-making]] [[Manipulation]] [[Meetings]] [[Radicals]] [[Complexity]]