When stakes are high and time is short, your brain defaults to shortcuts.

This checklist counteracts the cognitive biases that emerge under pressure and helps maintain decision quality when it matters most.

Before Making Your Decision: The Pre-Flight Check

1. What physical signals am I experiencing right now?

• Elevated heart rate
• Shallow breathing
• Muscle tension
• Sleep deficit
• Hunger/low blood sugar

→ If 2+ signals present: Take 3 minutes for tactical recovery before proceeding

2. What is the actual deadline for this decision?

• Is it truly urgent or just feels urgent?
• Can I take 30 minutes to gain perspective?
• Is there time for a brief consultation?

→ Distinguish between true urgency and perceived urgency

Core Decision Quality Questions

3. What would success look like 12 months from now?

• Forces perspective beyond immediate crisis
• Counteracts recency bias and emotional reactivity

4. What information could prove my current inclination wrong?

• Counteracts confirmation bias
• Tests assumptions explicitly
• Research shows we tend to seek only information that supports what we already believe

5. How would I advise my most respected colleague in this exact situation?

• Creates psychological distance
• Reduces emotional entanglement

6. What is my “minimum viable decision” right now?

• What’s the smallest action that preserves future options?
• What can be decided later when pressure is reduced?

7. If I knew this decision would fail, what would be the most likely reason?

• Pre-mortem analysis identifies blind spots
• Counters overconfidence bias

8. Who will be impacted by this decision who isn’t in the room right now?

• Expands consideration beyond immediate stakeholders
• Prevents narrow framing of consequences

9. Am I confusing confidence for competence?

• High pressure increases reliance on confident voices
• Check if confident opinions are backed by relevant expertise

10. What key information might I be missing?

• Known unknowns: Information you know you don’t have
• Unknown unknowns: Blind spots you haven’t identified

Decision Execution Safeguards

11. How will I know if this decision is working/not working?

• Define clear signals that would indicate course correction needed
• Set explicit review points

12. Who needs to be informed about this decision and why?

• Communication prevents cascading problems
• Transparency builds trust during pressure situations

Real-World Example: How This Prevented a Poor Decision

A tech CEO was about to approve a rushed acquisition during a competitive threat situation. Using this checklist revealed:

• He was operating on 4 hours of sleep (physical signal)
• The actual deadline was 3 days away, not “today” (perceived urgency)
• The pre-mortem identified integration challenges as the likely failure point
• Engineering team impact hadn’t been considered (stakeholders not in room)

Result: Decision delayed 24 hours, additional stakeholders consulted, deal terms improved, and successful acquisition completed without the rushed mistakes that would have occurred.

Emergency Protocol

If you identify 3+ high-risk answers but still must decide immediately:

1. Take 60 seconds of deep breathing (4 count in, 4 count hold, 6 count out)
2. Write down your concerns explicitly
3. Identify the smallest possible decision that preserves future options
4. Set a specific review time within 24 hours

Research Basis

This checklist draws from established research in cognitive psychology and decision science:

• Pre-mortem technique: Developed by psychologist Gary Klein to identify project risks by imagining failure has already occurred (Harvard Business Review, 2007)

   

• Psychological distance: Research from University of Michigan shows third-person perspective improves decision quality under emotional conditions (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2011)

   

• Physiological impacts: Stress hormones measurably impair prefrontal cortex function, the brain region responsible for executive decision-making (Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2009)

   

• Confirmation bias: One of the most well-established cognitive biases where we seek information confirming existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence (Review of General Psychology, 1998)

   

• Time pressure effects: Studies show perceived time constraints significantly alter risk assessment and increase reliance on mental shortcuts (Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 1997)

   

This checklist is most effective when printed and kept accessible during high-pressure periods. Practice using it during lower-stakes decisions to build familiarity before crisis situations.

For personalized strategies to enhance decision quality under pressure, contact us at resources@caretcare.com.