Marie G. McIntyre, Ph.D.

Advice on difficult bosses, cranky coworkers, office politics, and career issues.

 

Home Coaching Clinic Ask for Advice Tests & Surveys      

 

 

Phone Coaching

For information about a phone coaching session with Dr. McIntyre,

click here.

 

Next Week

Job hunting when you're already employed

Want a weekly update?

To get an email with our Spotlight Topic and Question of the Week, click here

Get information on Dr. McIntyre's book

Marie's Other Activities

 

§Your Office Coach Newspaper Column

§Lifetime TV Expert

§NIBM Online Column

 

 

 

 

 

Choosing a Decision-Making Strategy

All material on Your Office Coach is copyrighted to Marie G. McIntyre.  All rights reserved.

 May be reproduced with copyright and attribution to www.yourofficecoach.com.

 

Decision-making involves more than processing information.  It is also an interpersonal process.  You must decide how to involve others in making the decision – or whether to include them at all.  Your decision-making strategy should be influenced by these four variables: (1) availability of information, (2) superiority of one decision, (3) acceptance of the decision by others, (4) amount of time to decide.  Five possible approaches to decision-making are listed below, with indicators for choosing each one.

 

§          Option 1:  MAKE THE DECISION BY YOURSELF. 

Reasons to use this strategy:  You have all the information you need.  You already know which decision is likely to be best.  Acceptance by others is not important.  A decision must be made quickly. 

 

§          Option 2:  GET INFORMATION FROM OTHERS, THEN DECIDE BY YOURSELF. 

Reasons to use this strategy:  You lack critical information that others have.  With this information, you will be able to tell which decision is best.  Acceptance by others is not important.  A decision must be made quickly. 

 

§          Option 3:  BEFORE DECIDING, CONSULT WITH OTHERS ONE-ON-ONE TO GET THEIR VIEWS. 

Reasons to use this strategy:  The best decision is not clear.  Others may have conflicting views or different priorities.  Hearing different perspectives will help you make a better decision.  Including others in the process will increase acceptance of the decision.  A group discussion would not be helpful.  You have time for consultation. 

 

§          Option 4:  BEFORE DECIDING, HAVE A GROUP DISCUSSION TO EXPLORE OPTIONS. 

Reasons to use this strategy:  The best decision is not clear.  Others may have conflicting views or different priorities.  You need to hear other perspectives to make a good decision.  Having a group discussion will allow more possibilities to be explored.  Hearing the views of others will help group members understand and accept the decision.  Group discussion is logistically possible.  You have time for group participation. 

 

§          Option 5:  ASK THE GROUP TO REACH A CONSENSUS INDEPENDENTLY. 

Reasons to use this strategy:  The best decision is not clear.  You have no strong preferences.  Group members share your priorities and can agree on common goals.  Group members have all relevant information.  The group has a big stake in the outcome.  Acceptance by the group is important.  The group has a history of working well together.  Group discussion is logistically possible.  You have time for consensus-building. 

 

Making good decisions depends not only on locating all necessary information, but also on involving the right people in the right way.  If you tend to overuse one or two of the above strategies, look for appropriate occasions to try a different approach. 

Copyright Marie G. McIntyre.  All rights reserved. May be reproduced with copyright and attribution to www.yourofficecoach.com .

··· About Us ··· Privacy Policy ··· Contact Us ··· Legal Information ···

 

Your Office Coach®

Ó Marie G. McIntyreAtlanta, GeorgiaAll Rights Reserved