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The purpose of this assignment is to apply a decision-making…
The purpose of this assignment is to apply a decision-making strategy to a real-life situation.
The proactive professional infuses decision-making strategies in all aspects of life. Among essential leadership characteristics are strong decision-making skills. By examining why a decision is needed, what the possible options may be, the likely consequences of each option, and the significance of the consequences, the proactive professional can determine what the best decision may be in light of the available information.
The previous topic addressed problem solving. This resource contrasts problem solving with decision making and highlights important steps in effective decision making.
Decision Making vs. Problem Solving
Whereas problem solving involves the discovery of a correct response to a situation that is new and unique to an individual, decision making is the interpretive process that leads to the selection of a response from among a number of “known” alternative responses. Decision making, then involves the “weighing” of alternative responses to a situation in terms of their desirability and potential costs and payoffs (“Career Development Service,” 1976). Many decisions involve an element of risk, in that one seldom knows if a given decision will lead to positive outcomes. The point is to make the best possible decisions of which one is capable – and to learn from one’s mistakes, as well.
Decision theory brings together psychology, statistics, philosophy, and mathematics to analyze the decision-making process. Descriptive, prescriptive, and normative are three main areas of decision theory and each studies a different type of decision making. Decision making can be regarded as the cognitive process of selection from two or more alternative choices. There are four consumer decision-making models: economic model, passive model, cognitive model, and emotional model (“Four Views,” 2014).
The Decision-Making Process
The 7-Step Decision-Making Model was developed by Rick Roberts of the University of North Florida career services. It was designed for those who wanted a decision-making model to help with choosing a career path or deciding what to do about a job offer. An important factor in the model is information gathering (“7 Steps,” n.d.).
Review the following resources for more information:
The 7 Steps to Effective Decision Making: https://www.umassd.edu/fycm/decision-making/process/
Areas of Decision Making
The 7 Steps
Identify the decision to be made – Exactly what are you trying to decide?
Gather Information – Such as for careers or majors in college: What are the strengths, weaknesses, skills, values, and interests?
Identify options – List the various choices so far.
Weigh the evidence – About each alternative, the pros, cons, and risks of each alternative.
Choose among the alternatives – Generally, this is the most difficult step.
Take action – May be necessary to loop back and gather more information.
Review your decision – And implement it.
Conclusion
Making the right decision about career selection can be daunting. That is one reason why internships are so important; they allow the student to try out potential career settings without a long-term obligation. Still, it is important to apply these principles of logical decision making to help the person make the best decision for that point in time.
