Business Decision-Making Terms

noun a thought or idea that occurs to someone after a conversation, event, or decision has already taken place

• The decision to include a disclaimer at the end of the contract was made as an afterthought.
• I added the extra toppings to my pizza as an afterthought.
• I totally forgot to grab my keys, it was such an afterthought.
• Her apology seemed like an afterthought, lacking sincerity.

noun a telephone conversation or a visit

verb to make a telephone call or to shout out

adjective used to describe a decision or judgment as being final or official

• I will need to schedule a conference call with the board members.
• I'll give you a call later to discuss the details.
• Let's hop on a quick call to go over the plan.
• His decision to quit his job was a wake-up call for the company.

noun the act of carefully considering or discussing something before making a decision

verb none

adjective none

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• After much deliberation, the committee finally reached a decision.
• We spent hours deliberating over where to go for dinner.
• I'm done deliberating, let's just go with option A.
• His mind was a place of constant deliberation, weighing every option before making a choice.

adjective suitable or right for a particular situation; well-timed

• The opportune moment to discuss the budget is during our next meeting.
• This is the perfect time to ask for a raise, it's just opportune.
• I'm telling you, the timing couldn't be more on point, it's seriously opportune.
• Her arrival was like an opportune ray of sunshine on a gloomy day.

noun the action of walking or moving in a cautious or stealthy manner

verb to tread or move warily or stealthily

• The politician accused his opponent of pussyfooting around the issue during the debate.
• Stop pussyfooting and just tell me the truth!
• Quit pussyfooting and make a decision already!
• She was pussyfooting through the minefield of office politics, trying not to offend anyone.

noun the quality or state of being unanimous

• The board members reached a unanimous decision on the budget proposal.
• Everyone agreed on the movie choice, there was total unanimity.
• We were all on the same page, it was like a total group hug of unanimity.
• The colors of the sunset painted the sky with a beautiful unanimity.

noun a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome

• The decision-making process was hindered by the presence of groupthink among the board members.
• We need to avoid groupthink and consider all perspectives before making a decision.
• Let's not fall into the trap of groupthink and just go along with what everyone else is saying.
• Groupthink can be like wearing blinders, preventing us from seeing alternative viewpoints.