How do you know when to trust your gut and when a decision deserves a more structured approach?
In this episode of The Mike Method, Mike Desjardins talks with Sherif Farghal, President and CEO of Pyramid Consulting International and founder of Alllovance, about what actually goes into making better decisions.
Sherif’s fascination with decision making began after an earthquake in Cairo damaged priceless historic buildings and left decision makers facing an almost impossible question: with limited resources, what should be saved first?
That question eventually shaped his doctoral research and a methodology designed to bring greater structure, shared understanding, and evidence into complex decisions.
Mike and Sherif explore why even seemingly objective measures are influenced by context, how biases like anchoring, confirmation bias, optimism bias, and sunk cost can shape our choices, and why relying on gut instinct can become risky when the stakes are high.
Sherif also breaks down a practical five-step decision-making process:
They also dig into one of the biggest challenges facing leadership teams: alignment. When priorities compete and resources are limited, a structured process can help teams move beyond individual opinions and understand not only what matters, but how much it matters relative to everything else.
Sherif brings more than 20 years of management consulting experience across utilities, construction, manufacturing, communications, and healthcare. His doctoral research at the University of Michigan became the foundation for Elovance and his work helping organizations strengthen strategic planning, capital allocation, and decision making.
If you lead a team or organization where priorities compete for limited time, attention, and resources, this conversation offers a practical framework for making those choices with greater clarity.
In this episode:
Episode Resources:
Sherif Farghal: LinkedIn
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