The Decision-Making Studio Podcast

Ep. 224: Michael Hartley: On Decision-Making, Human Factors, Data, Culture and more

Aug 1, 2024

In this conversation, Michael Hartley, director of InterKnowlogy, shares his expertise in risk management and data science within the mining and energy sectors. He discusses the challenges of decision-making in complex organizations, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and effective communication. Hartley critiques the overuse of PowerPoint, suggesting better analysis methods. He also highlights the synergy between AI and human decision-making, advocating for proactive, performance-oriented risk management to foster trust and enhance outcomes.

01:25:45

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Michael Hartley

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Quick takeaways

Aligning employee incentives with long-term organizational goals is crucial to prevent misaligned decision-making, as seen in the Shell reserves crisis.

Fostering a culture that encourages open discussion of past mistakes can enhance learning and effective risk management across industries.

Integrating AI into decision-making processes should focus on supporting human needs, enhancing collaboration rather than replacing human decision-makers.

Deep dives

Incentives Over Objectives

Organizations often struggle when the incentives for employees overshadow their objectives, leading to skewed decision-making environments. This misalignment was evident during the reserves crisis at Shell, where employees were rewarded for presenting inflated reserve figures rather than focusing on accurate reporting. As a result, the organization faced significant reputational damage and operational challenges. Addressing this issue requires a cultural shift to ensure that incentives align with long-term organizational goals.

Intro

4min

Navigating Decision-Making in Complex Organizations

33min

The Pitfalls of PowerPoint in Decision-Making

2min

Mastering Organizational Decision-Making

23min

Navigating Complexity in Scenario Planning

5min

The Synergy of AI and Human Decision-Making

7min

Evolving Risk Management Practices

12min

Today I welcome fellow Canadian Michael Hartley to the show. Michael is the director of InterKnowlogy, mining and energy. And that is a firm that operates at the intersection of risk management, human factors and data science to enhance decision-making. This conversation covers a wide range of fascinating stuff, mostly about how decisions get made during complexity and crises, mostly from Michael's background in energy and mining. However, the insights are applicable to a huge number of other contexts. And we cover the importance of decision making and critical thinking, understanding when decisions get made in organizations, data quality and presenting information, managing crises, AI and much more.

Show Notes:

Michael on LinkedIn

InterKnowlogy

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