Making a decision takes one moment, but living a decision takes a lifetime. Would you agree? If we all take an honest inventory, I think we can all agree that some of our decisions have created a ripple effect on the trajectory of our lives. And think about it, you make hundreds…well, more like thousands of decisions daily.

Not only do we make decisions that impact our own lives, but each decision we make will play a part in the lives of many other people. On the home front, we dedicate substantial efforts to teach our children to make “good” decisions. With our significant other, we pair with them to make decisions about the future. In the workplace, managers teach employees to make responsible decisions to benefit the company. Each angle of our lives is entwined in decision-making.

In his new book that launched on January 31st, our featured author seeks to provide clarity on common decision making pitfalls that often lead to lost opportunity – such pitfalls create an “expensive” sentence in our lives.

Meet Jack Quarles

Jack Quarles is the founder of Buying Excellence® which leads clients through a structured process of defining value, increasing options, and then selecting the right solution. Over the last 13 years, Jack has helped dozens of organizations make better buying decisions and save tens of millions of dollars. As Director of Corporate Procurement at Sallie Mae, Jack led sourcing initiatives for software, services, and information central to the company’s core business. As a founding principal of Invoice Insight (later renamed Xigo), Jack implemented software and BPO solutions with Fortune 500, federal, and state government clients.

He helps mission-driven leaders have greater impact with their resources through wise stewardship, smart negotiations, and value-driven RFPs. He trains teams to consistently get greater return for the dollars they spend, and is a bestselling author, speaker, board member, consultant, husband, dad, and friend.

Discover ‘Expensive Sentences’

“A thoroughly engaging read that will improve your decision making, both professionally and personally.”

Scott McKeon, Professor of Economics, Stanford University

“This book shines a light on the shaky reasoning behind many team decisions; thankfully it also provides extremely useful tools and language to move to more solid ground.”

David Ruud, President, DTE Power and Industrial

“Challenging, convicting, and ultimately encouraging. Expensive Sentences is packed with practical wisdom for veteran and new leaders alike.”

~ Dale Pyne, CEO, Peacemaker Ministries

“Perfect for an office book club, highly readable and actionable. Applies to every function in the organization.”

~ Doug Pontsler, VP Operations & Sustainability, Owens Corning

From Amazon

Conversations have consequences. Discussions lead to decisions that shape the future for individuals, families, companies, and nations. Too often these decisions are derailed by faulty logic and false constraints. These pitfalls are not simply hidden, but deviously veiled in the guise of wisdom, truth, and common sense.

This book exposes the clichéd wisdom that leads to lost time, money, and opportunity. Readers will discover how to hear decision-making traps in real time, and learn to guide teams back to fact and logic that will lead to better outcomes.

Through historic examples, business stories, and personal anecdotes drawn from decades of experience, the author illustrates the prevalence and impact of flawed reasoning. Equally important, the book includes a clear path to improvement: sample text to upgrade conversations and exercises to correct assumptions and clarify solutions.

Learn more about ‘Expensive Sentences’

  • The best place to go to learn more about this inspiring book is on the book’s website. There you can find a free sample chapter, more information about the book’s origins, and beautiful share graphics to spread the word about his book.
  • Buy Expensive Sentences on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
  • Watch Jack’s webinar, which identifies three common traps that sabotage decision making.
  • You can follow Jack on Facebook, Twitter @JackQuarlesJQ, or on LinkedIn.
  • You can also enter Jack’s hashtag contest on Twitter, and win some great prizes! Learn more about the #ExpensiveSentence contest by visiting his book site.

What’s your expensive sentence?