Executive Decision Making
Decision-Making under Uncertainty, Bias and Negotiation
Why This Programme?
How can leaders make better decisions in a world characterised by uncertainty, complexity and competing interests? And how can they gain support for those decisions and ensure their successful implementation?
This executive programme equips leaders and decision-makers with the skills required to make sound strategic decisions, influence stakeholders effectively and negotiate successful outcomes. Participants learn how to assess uncertainty systematically, avoid common decision-making pitfalls and strengthen their effectiveness in complex business environments.
Language: English
Location: University of Cologne
Certificate of the University of Cologne Business School
Fee*: €1,950 (VAT exempt)
*If you are resident in Germany, you may be able to claim your professional development expenses, as well as any related travel expenses, against tax.
Exclusive discounts for companies, as well as for staff and alumni of the University of Cologne
Organisations enrolling multiple participants on our seminars benefit from attractive corporate discounts. In addition, all of our seminars can be tailored and delivered as bespoke in-house programmes, designed to meet your organisation's specific requirements and the qualifications of your employees. Staff and alumni of the University of Cologne, as well as UCBS alumni, also benefit from exclusive discounts across all programmes. Please get in touch to discuss the options and discounts available to you.
Strategic Decision-Making in a Complex World
Strategic decision-making is one of the most important responsibilities of senior leaders. Yet decisions are increasingly made in environments characterised by uncertainty, rapid change, time pressure and incomplete information. Cognitive biases, organisational dynamics and competing stakeholder interests can significantly affect both the quality of decisions and their successful execution.
This executive programme combines insights from behavioural economics, decision science, persuasion psychology, nudging and modern negotiation research. Participants learn how to analyse decision processes systematically, identify and mitigate cognitive biases, make decisions under uncertainty, influence key stakeholders and conduct negotiations in a professional and outcome-oriented manner.
Through a combination of evidence-based frameworks, interactive exercises, case studies and realistic simulations, participants develop a practical toolkit for improving decision quality, increasing organisational influence and achieving sustainable negotiation outcomes.
What You Will Learn
By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:
- Apply structured approaches to improve the quality of strategic decisions.
- Make sound decisions under conditions of uncertainty and incomplete information.
- Recognise cognitive biases and reduce their impact on managerial judgement and decision-making.
- Gain stakeholder buy-in through framing, persuasion techniques and effective communication.
- Conduct negotiations confidently in complex and commercially significant situations.
- Understand and manage the behavioural and organisational factors that influence management decisions.
What to Expect
- Evidence-based and immediately applicable tools for improving decision quality
- Practical techniques for identifying and reducing cognitive biases
- Insights into how framing, context and behavioural economics influence decision-making
- Venture capital decision simulations that demonstrate how strategic decisions are made under uncertainty
- Interactive negotiation exercises based on proven negotiation frameworks
- Practical strategies for dealing professionally with difficult negotiators and unfair tactics
- Real-world applications of persuasion, pre-suasion and nudging to enhance influence and organisational effectiveness
- Direct transfer of learning to leadership, decision-making and negotiation challenges
Who Should Attend?
This programme is designed for executives, senior managers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers who wish to strengthen their capabilities in decision-making, influence and negotiation.
It is particularly valuable for professionals with responsibility for strategic decision-making, stakeholder management, organisational transformation and leadership, where sound judgement and effective influence are critical to success.
The Programme
Module 1: Frame & Inform: Foundations of Decision Making
Good decisions are not a matter of chance. This module explores how information, perception and cognitive biases influence managerial judgement and demonstrates practical ways to improve decision quality.
Date: 3 December 2026 in Cologne, UCBS Campus
Module 2: Influence & Decide: From Insight to Action
Effective leadership is not only about making decisions but also about gaining support for them. Participants learn how behavioural economics and persuasion psychology can be used to influence stakeholders and shape organisational behaviour.
Date: 4 December 2026 in Cologne, UCBS Campus
Module 3: Relate and Negotiate: Interactive Decision Making
Negotiation is a critical leadership capability. This module provides practical tools for managing complex negotiations, handling difficult counterparts and achieving sustainable outcomes.
Date: 5 December 2026 in Cologne, UCBS Campus
Your Faculty
Dr Christopher McLachlan
Retail Innovation & Marketing | RheinEnergie AG
Dr Christopher McLachlan is a business strategist, investor and executive coach with extensive experience across industry and leading consulting firms, including McKinsey & Company, Simon-Kucher, EnBW and Innogy. His areas of expertise include behavioural economics, decision-making and negotiation.
He combines academic expertise with substantial practical experience in innovation, growth and strategic transformation. His teaching focuses on translating cutting-edge research into practical tools that can be applied directly to real-world leadership, decision-making and negotiation challenges.
