Leading Strategic Decision Making
October 1-2, 2025 | April 15-16, 2026 | UT Campus or Live Online ($3,350) | On-Demand Online ($1,295)
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Course Details
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SDG Partnership
EFFECTIVELY DIAGNOSE DECISION SITUATIONS
Complex decisions, often involving many parties in disagreement, need leaders who can guide a team to a timely, effective resolution. Decision leaders play a specific role, guiding and facilitating decision makers, decision support teams, and stakeholders. Building on the concepts of Decision Quality and the Dialogue Decision Process (DDP), this class teaches you how to lead a group to a decision.
Upcoming Sessions

Please note that Decision Quality: Make the Right Choice Every Time is a prerequisite for this course.

Class Concentration Date Location Instructors
Leading Strategic Decision MakingStrategic Decision and Risk Management10/01/2025 - 10/02/2025UT Campus or Live OnlineEric Bickel
Marcy Conn
Leading Strategic Decision MakingStrategic Decision and Risk Management04/15/2026 - 04/16/2026UT Campus or Live OnlineEric Bickel
Marcy Conn
Leading Strategic Decision MakingStrategic Decision and Risk ManagementOn DemandOnlineEric Bickel
Bruce Judd

*Enrollment for the On Demand version of this course will open in a new window, and be completed on the screen titled “Your Texas McCombs Portal.”

What You'll Learn

Achieve success by effectively diagnosing a decision situation, designing a clear approach, facilitating communication, and presenting compelling rationale to key stakeholders.

Management of Group Interactions

  • Manage a group’s interpersonal and organizational dynamics
  • Guide dialogue among decision makers and project teams to produce a high-quality decision
  • Effectively facilitate interactions at each step of the DDP
  • Identify what decision-makers will need to make the best choice in a challenging situation
  • Discuss types of conflict and their potential effects on reaching a quality decision

Decision Processes

  • Select the best process for handling many types of decisions
  • Ensure your team is solving the right problem by how you guide them to frame and scope the issue
  • Identify the obstacles – organizational, analytical, and content – to good decision making

 

Decision Leadership

  • Lead the project team and decision board in productive dialogue and facilitate agreement and clarity of action
  • Gain insight into your own strategic leadership capabilities and areas for potential improvement

 

ATTENDING THIS COURSE
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Individual Attendees

Those who want to make better decisions, especially when outcomes are uncertain and when risks include financial and non-financial impacts.

Team/Group Registration
Organizations often send pairs or small teams to support the launch of new initiatives. Contact us to learn more about registering a group.
On Demand Format Information

The following information applies to the On-Demand version of this course only.

Dates

The on-demand version of this course is self-paced and takes place online. You may register and begin the class at any time, and you will have 60 days to complete the class.

Time Commitment

You should expect to dedicate 18 to 22 hours to watch videos and complete assignments. At the end of each module, you will take a short quiz to assess your learning.

Exam

After completing all modules in this course, there is a final exam. To pass the course and earn credit, it’s required that you score 70% or above. You may take the final exam multiple times.

Course Prerequisites
Decision Quality: Make the Right Choice Every Time is a prerequisite for this course.
Course Credit
Participants earn 1.4 CEUs and/or 14 CPEs for this course, as well as a certificate of completion.
Our classes are available for university credit. Please contact us for more information.
Course Schedule

This course is 2 days long and takes place from 8am-5pm.

Effectively Diagnose Decision Situations
Complex decisions, often involving many parties in disagreement, need leaders who can guide a team to a timely, effective resolution. Decision leaders play a specific role, guiding and facilitating decision makers, decision support teams, and stakeholders. Building on the concepts of Decision Quality and the Dialogue Decision Process (DDP), this class teaches you how to lead a group to a decision.
Tower
Instructors
Eric Bickel
Eric Bickel
Professor and Director, Graduate Program in Operations Research & Industrial Engineering
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Marcy Conn
Marcy Conn
Partner, Strategic Decisions Group
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Demonstrate Your Expertise with a Certificate
Gain applicable, real-world expertise through a focused series of classes in Strategic Decision Making and Risk Management.
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Reimbursement Options
Learn more about course credits and options for course reimbursement. Get tips on the best way to approach your manager and download a customizable template to facilitate making the ask.
Download Reimbursement Kit
Course Location
In person courses take place at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center and adjoining Rowling Hall on the UT campus in Austin. These world-class facilities provide a comfortable and convenient learning environment, with direct access to the 40 acres of campus and within walking distance of downtown Austin. Live online and on-demand course options are available for many courses.

In Partnership with Strategic Decisions Group

The Strategic Decision and Risk Management Certificate courses offered by Texas Executive Education combine The University of Texas at Austin’s academic and research depth with the decision and risk management expertise and track record of Strategic Decisions Group (SDG). Strategic Decisions Group (SDG) is a global consulting firm with expertise in strategic decision making, risk management and shareholder value creation. SDG’s collaborative approach helps clients find innovative strategies for today while helping them build decision competency for the future.

Earn a Badge
We offer digital badges for select courses, which enable you to verify your skills and achievements. When you complete this course, you will earn a digital badge that you can showcase on your LinkedIn profile.
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Related Courses

Decision and Risk Analysis

Explore the foundations of decision quality and how to use a rigorous analytic framework to make better decisions in your personal and professional life.

Learn more

Decision Quality: Make the Right Choice Every Time

Learn how to frame strategic choices, generate alternatives, develop credible forecasts, quantify uncertainty and judge the quality of a decision at the time it is made.

Learn more

Human Biases in Decision Making: Avoiding the Traps

Understand the ways in which your mind, personality, and social structures can degrade your decision-making.

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Modeling and Analytics for Strategic Insight

Create models that answer executives’ questions, produce compelling analyses, and ultimately gain commitment.

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Multi-Party Decision Making: From Conflict to Resolution

Assemble concepts, tools, and skills for applying the DQ Framework in multi-party situations.

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Scenarios and Forecasting: Planning for Uncertainty

Improve strategic decision-making with enhanced forecasting methods and by leveraging scenarios to foster insight.

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Resources
Decision Quality: Strategic Decision Making Through Framing & Alternatives
Decision Quality: Strategic Decision Making Through Framing & Alternatives
Framing and finding alternatives are key links in the decision quality chain; necessary for determining if a decision is good or not.
Read more
Decision Quality: Strategic Decision Making Through Information & Values
Decision Quality: Strategic Decision Making Through Information & Values
Decision quality is a strategic decision making process used to judge the quality of a decision at the time it is being made.
Read more
Decision Making: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Decision Making: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Why do seemingly good decisions sometimes turn out all wrong? Conventional thinking often confuses decisions with outcomes.
Watch webinar

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