A mixed scanning model is a decision-making approach that blends broad strategic vision with detailed, step-by-step analysis.
Mixed scanning is a sophisticated approach to decision-making, particularly useful in complex or uncertain environments. It acknowledges the limitations of purely rational comprehensive analysis (which is often too resource-intensive) and purely incremental approaches (which can lack direction and miss major issues).
Based on the concept, mixed scanning is a hierarchical mode of decision-making that combines higher-order, fundamental decision-making with lower-order, incremental decisions that work out, and/or prepare for the higher-order ones. This hierarchical structure means that fundamental choices guide the more detailed steps that follow.
Key Components
The model operates by distinguishing between two main types of decisions:
Higher-Order, Fundamental Decisions
These involve a broad, wide-angle scan of the environment or problem. The goal is to determine the overall direction, core objectives, and major policy lines. This level involves:
- Scanning the entire field of possibilities.
- Identifying major alternatives.
- Setting the overall framework or strategy.
- Making choices about the fundamental course of action.
Think of this like deciding on the destination for a long journey – it sets the overall path.
Lower-Order, Incremental Decisions
Once a fundamental direction is set, these decisions involve a more detailed, narrow-angle focus. They are the practical steps taken to implement or refine the fundamental choices. These decisions:
- Work out the details within the established framework.
- Prepare for or adjust the higher-order decisions.
- Involve limited, step-by-step adjustments or actions.
- Focus on specific parts of the problem or implementation process.
Following the journey analogy, these are the choices about which specific roads to take, where to stop for gas, or which hotel to book along the way.
How They Combine
The power of mixed scanning lies in its combination:
- Fundamental decisions provide the necessary context and direction, preventing getting lost in minor details or drifting aimlessly.
- Incremental decisions allow for flexibility, detailed exploration, learning from experience, and practical implementation, preventing paralysis by analysis or overlooking crucial practicalities.
It's a balance between seeing the big picture and managing the specific steps needed to get there. This cyclical process allows decision-makers to regularly revisit the fundamental direction based on insights gained from the incremental steps.
Benefits of Mixed Scanning
- Practicality: More realistic than comprehensive rationality.
- Direction: Provides overall goals, unlike pure incrementalism.
- Adaptability: Allows for adjustments based on practical experience.
- Efficiency: Resources are focused more intensely on relevant areas after fundamental choices are made.
By utilizing mixed scanning, decision-makers can navigate complexity more effectively, making choices that are both strategically sound and practically implementable.
