Analyse important decisions using proven behavioural and decision-making frameworks. Identify the main biases and blind spots that affect you and your team and counter them. Design and facilitate better decision processes for your area (e.g. investments, people, projects, risk). Communicate decisions more clearly, including trade-offs, risks and rationale. Make faster, more robust calls that support your organisation’s strategy and performance.

Smarter Decisions Under Pressure

Q: Why should I choose IMI?

IMI is in the top 2% of executive education providers worldwide. We have been empowering business leaders to build their capabilities for over 70 years. We are ranked #1 in Ireland for academic rigour and practical relevance on our Open-Enrolment programmes Our full focus is on you, the participant. Through continuous reinvestment, we engage world class faculty to enhance the learning experience and deliver highly contextualised and outcome-led programmes. This provides you with the best opportunity possible to grow your career.

Q: What are the programme dates?

The three-day programme was launched on 5th May 2026. Dates for the next intake will be announced in due course. If you would like to be notified when new dates are confirmed, please download the brochure and we will keep your details on file.

Q: What are the key programme themes?

On this programme, you will explore: How good decisions go wrong Why “rational” decision-making is a myth. Common cognitive biases and heuristics in managerial judgement. The impact of stress, time pressure and overload. Framing, information and bounded awareness How the way you frame a problem shapes every option you see. What gets missed and how to reduce blind spots. Practical tools for scoping complex decisions. Emotion, fairness and ethics in decisions The role of emotion in risk and reward. Fairness, ethics and trust – making decisions you can stand over. Handling politically sensitive or contested calls. Designing better decision processes Simple frameworks for high-quality, repeatable decision-making. Improving group decisions and avoiding groupthink. Checklists, pre-mortems and other tools you can use immediately. Applying it to your world Analysing a significant real decision from your own context. Identifying concrete changes to your personal and team decision habits.

Q: Who is the programme for?

This programme is for you if: You lead teams, projects or functions where decisions carry real commercial, people or reputational risk. You find yourself revisiting the same issues because earlier decisions didn’t stick or weren’t robust. You want to bring more evidence, structure and transparency into how your organisation decides. You’re ready to examine your own decision habits and improve them.

Q: CPD Hours and Certification?

Upon programme completion, you will receive an e-certificate specifying the learning hours undertaken. Many industry bodies have different criteria for accepted courses, eligible CPD hours, and required documentation. Please check the criteria and, if appropriate, submit the e-certificate as evidence of your participation. Please keep the e-certificate secure as you may need it for verification purposes at a later date.

Q: How do I find out more about the IMI campus?

Read our campus information page for details.

Course Overview

Every leader is making dozens of consequential calls a week based on incomplete information, under intense time pressure, and with stakeholders pulling in different directions. Most of us learn to “trust our gut” and hope for the best.

But that’s not a strategy.

Smarter Decisions Under Pressure is a Level 9, 5 ECTS micro-credential that gives you a practical, psychology-backed playbook for better decisions when the stakes are high. Drawing on behavioural science and real cases from your own role, you’ll learn how bias, emotion and group dynamics shape judgement, and how to design decision processes that consistently deliver better outcomes.

Across an intensive, highly interactive experience, you’ll pressure-test real decisions you’ve made, build simple tools you can take back to your team, and leave with a clearer way of thinking when the heat is on.

*IMI micro-credentials are drawn from our Professional Diploma pathways. This means that when you attend a micro-credential, you may be learning alongside participants who are completing the full diploma.

You’ll take part in the same high-quality learning experience, with the added benefit of joining a broader group of professionals at different stages of their development journey.

Just for your team

Every programme in our full suite of short programmes can be delivered exclusively to your staff. If you have 10 or more participants for a specific programme, we can partner with you to deliver it on our campus or at a location of your choice.

Programme Highlights

Decisions you can stand over

Bring structure and clarity to high-stakes calls so you can explain why you chose a path, and not just what you chose, even months later when they’re challenged.

Speed without the knee-jerk

Replace slow, meandering discussions and endless revisits with simple decision routines that let you move faster without increasing risk.

A culture that challenges thinking, not people

Use shared frameworks and language so your team can question assumptions, test options and disagree productively, without it getting personal or political.

Fewer costly surprises

Spot biases, blind spots and unintended consequences earlier. Design in checks that catch issues before they hit customers, colleagues or the bottom line.

Programme Faculty

Anna Connolly is a Chartered Organisational Psychologist, who designs and delivers learning solutions and consults in the areas of Leadership development, decision-making and organisational design. Anna specialises in solution-focused coaching for newly appointed Managers and people managing transition. Anna has 13 years’ experience as a senior manager with global ICT service provider Ericsson in their Global Service Delivery, Learning Academy and Global Support business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I choose IMI?

What are the programme dates?

What are the key programme themes?

Who is the programme for?

What will I gain?

CPD Hours and Certification?

How do I find out more about the IMI campus?

Download Smarter Decisions Under Pressure Brochure

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