Decision Architects: Of Narratives and Numbers

Course Overview

It is probably safe for us to assume that finance professionals are more comfortable with numbers than most of the decision-makers that the finance office supports. These decision-makers are likely more comfortable with narratives. Numbers are often part of the conversation, but psychological research shows that people often grossly misunderstand and/or misuse numbers in favor of their preferred narrative. Of course, finance professionals are people too, so even with a better understanding of numbers than most people, they can fall prey to the same pitfalls. This course will explain the relationship between narratives and numbers and show how you can use your decision architect skills to structure decisions better. This course should take approximately 30-35 minutes to complete.

Who Will Benefit

Budget analyst, budget manager/director, or other local government staff who are involved in presenting budget decisions to executives and elected officials

Learning Objectives

  • Analyze various types of bias through the narrative of numbers, their impact on decision-making, and strategies to mitigate them.

CPE Credits:0

View GFOA On-Demand Learning and Expectations and Requirements


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