CBA - Pros & Cons: Better Decisions with Paz Arroyo
Dr. Paz Arroyo joins The EBFC Show to unpack the power of Choosing by Advantages (CBA) and why it beats traditional “pros and cons” thinking. From mega projects to family dynamics, she shares how sound decision-making builds trust, clarity, and better outcomes. Listeners will get real-world stories, research-backed insights, and simple ways to start using CBA on any project. If you're ready to stop guessing and start deciding with confidence, this episode is a must-listen.
What if the real problem on your project isn’t budget, scope, or schedule — but how decisions are actually made? 🤯
In this episode of The EBFC Show, Felipe Engineer-Manriquez is joined by Dr. Paz Arroyo — author of Building Decisions, CBA evangelist, and DPR's culture of quality champion — to unravel the mess behind most construction decisions and reveal a better path forward.
Together, they dive into the science and soul of sound decision-making with Choosing by Advantages (CBA) — a powerful, underused method that helps teams cut through bias, confusion, and decision fatigue with clarity and respect.
🎯 What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why “pros and cons” are a trap for critical thinking 😬
- How CBA helps teams align on what really matters — and why
- The human (and hilarious) side of decision-making in big families, big projects, and cell phone shopping 📱
- Real stories from mega projects where CBA shifted the game
- How to make durable, collaborative, and transparent decisions
- Why most teams aren’t taught to separate value from cost — and what that costs them 💸
- How CBA supports #respectforpeople by including every voice in the room
💡 Whether you’re building skyscrapers, choosing a structural system, or just arguing over iPhone vs. Android — this episode will change how you think about thinking.
📘 Grab the book “Building Decisions” and dig deeper into practical, field-tested ways to apply CBA on your project.
🧠 Want to make better decisions that stick? This episode is for builders, leaders, owners, and anyone tired of flip-flopping, second-guessing, or defaulting to “we’ve always done it this way.”
Books
“Building Decisions” by Paz Arroyo, Annett Schöttle, and Randi Christensen
Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4mJMjDC
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Connect with Paz via
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paz-arroyo-phd-27b282b/
Connect with Felipe via
Social media and Free Lean and Scrum Training Resources at https://thefelipe.bio.link
RSM Podia Course Link: https://store.theebfcshow.com/rsm
Subscribe to never miss new videos here: https://click.theebfcshow.com/youtube
Watch The EBFC Show Podcast https://click.theebfcshow.com/YouTube-Podcast
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Today's episode is sponsored by the Lean Construction Institute (LCI). This non-profit organization operates as a catalyst to transform the industry through Lean project delivery using an operating system centered on a common language, fundamental principles, and basic practices. Learn more at https://www.leanconstruction.org
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Paz Arroyo
Dr./Mom/Wife/Quality Leader at DPR
Paz Arroyo, Ph.D., is a Quality Leader focusing on sustaining a culture of quality. She has a solid Lean background, has taught Lean Construction since the mid-2000s in Chile, and has delivered several workshops internationally; her online class has more than 300,000 students in Latin America. She has consulted on large construction projects and published more than 60 papers at several International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) conferences and at peer-reviewed journals on Lean, Decision-Making, Quality, and Sustainability. She is well known for helping teams make better decisions with the Choosing By Advantages (CBA) system and for her research. Dr. Arroyo is also co-founder of CollabDecisions, a platform to share knowledge on how to make collaborative decisions.
