Decision Making Styles
I have
never given any thought to the fact that there are different styles of decision-making,
but I know it has to be true. People are
different; we think differently, react to input differently, and we are
motivated by different things. So, it only
makes sense that we would recognize, analyze, and resolve issues or solve
problems differently (Decision Making Strategies (Styles), 2004). I selected the words that apply to me from
the list the narrator provided in the video, but I cannot say that say that I
always follow the same pattern, process or style. The words I selected were:
Cautious
over Risk-Taking
Intuitive
over Logical
Influenced
by Others over Self-Motivated
Rational
over Emotional
Passive
over Active
Quiet
over Assertive
When I
went back over these words and their opposites, I realized that I have used
each of the styles at one point or another in my career. We probably do fall into a comfortable style
making simple day-to-day decisions, but I believe some decisions require a
specific style that may or may not be in our comfort zone. I believe it makes more sense that we would adjust
our style based on the decision we are making much like we would adjust our
approach to counseling based on the situation. For example, I would approach taking a loved
one off life support differently than deciding what I will eat for lunch, I may
take a risk at lunch and try something I have never had before. Either way, I would certainly handle those
two issues differently.
This
exercise made me think about how I make decisions. Truthfully, I am not sure. I know what I do when faced with a decision,
but it is difficult to describe. I do
not get out pencil and paper and follow a step-by-step process and I cannot say
that I do it the same way every time. First,
I make sure that I fully understand the problem then I think about it until the
solution comes to me. I consider several
options but the right one just seems to fit best. Then I think about how to implement the
decision. I do not even write it down
until I am ready to implement it. It is as close to a process as I can
describe, but it has always served me well.
In a different video in the same series the narrator defines a very
similar process as Intuitive (Decision Making Strategies (Intuitive), 2004). I am not sure intuitive is the correct word for
me to use because the answer does not just appear to me without effort. However, when I find the answer it does feel
right and I rarely second-guess it.
When
faced with a decision that I do not feel fully qualified to make, my ‘think it through’ style will not
work. If I lack the expertise to fully
understand the problem or if I know the decision is larger than my scope of responsibility
or will affect other work centers, working as a team member and using a
mechanical, step-by-step process is more appropriate and effective.
Note:
The citation is the same for both videos since they are part of the same running
series. So, I altered them slightly in
the text and in the list of references for clarification.
References:
Decision-making
strategies (Styles) [Video file]. (2004). In Films On Demand.
Retrieved June 14, 2016, from
fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=-1&xtid=34513
Decision-making
strategies (Intuitive) [Video file]. (2004). In Films On Demand. Retrieved June 14, 2016, from
fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=-1&xtid=34513
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