A520.3.1.RB Decision Making

What are a few words that describe your decision-making style?

Decisive, analytical, optimistic, creative, logical, and flexible

What are the opposites of the words you chose?

Biased, pessimistic, dishonest, motive driven, irrational, and rigid

Could you see any benefits to making decisions using an approach that is based on either the opposites or somewhere in-between and what outcomes would you expect to see?

Yes, I can see benefits from using the opposite approach at times; maybe not all the chosen words but without a doubt some of them.  To start with, we all want to be flexible in our decision making process, but many times there are many constraints that cause us to be rigid.  An example would be when dealing with the law.  There is not a lot of flexibility when it comes to legal matters.  Should I speed or should I stick to the speed limit.  Honestly, one mile over the speed limit and you are breaking the law, no matter what anyone says.  We have to ask ourselves, we embellish facts sometimes to motivate employees when it comes to decision making.  We even say we are making the best decision for the company, but really do we have personal motives in our decision making process.  Very few of us make decisions without considering WIIFM (what’s in it for me).   I would like to think we consider the outcomes which guides us in our decision making process.  The problem is when we are overcome with the win –win mentality.   Internally a lot of us even wrestle with the theories of, does the end justly the means or does the mean justly the end. No matter what choice you make, your style of making decisions will be scrutinized by yourself and others.   

Last but not least in the opposite word that describe my decision-making style is being biased.  What if you had to eliminate several jobs from your organization?  After you analyze the situation, you realize the positions that are expendable include your best friend and your position.  Are you really going to turn in that report and is or are you going to be bias and figure out a way to save one or both of the positions.  If you are biased in your decision making you are not being fair to the organization that hired you. 

As decision makers, we want to think our decisions are easy and we have chosen the right style.  We want to be comfortable with our choices, but the truth is far from this.  Our decisions are influenced by many factors; seen and unseen.