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Decision
Making
Decision
making is a process of moving into the future following an identified
course of action. Because
things are rarely certain in business, the selected courses of action
are based on judgments and assessments that contain elements of
speculation. However,
actions are speculative in proportion to the information available and
the accuracy of data interpretation. In short, decision making is not so
much a precise science as it is a process of making educated guesses
based on research, experience, and planning.
When
making major decisions, team leaders must consider five fundamental
decision-making questions:
1.
What
is the purpose of the decision? Or,
Why is a decision necessary?
2.
What
options are possible?
3.
What
is the best course of action to achieve the desired outcomes?
4.
Is
the course of action achievable?
5.
What
is a workable action plan and timetable for implementing the decision?
Patterns
of Decision Making
Decisions come in all shapes and sizes, from daily supervisory details
to broad team-altering judgments. Decisions
are generally made following one or more basic types of decision
actions:
1.
Leader
Decisions—One
person makes the decision without much input, if any, from the team.
2.
Key
Player Decisions—A
select group of key team members make the decision.
Both
the single leader and key player decision patterns have the advantage of
quick and easy implementation. These
types of decisions are good when the decision affects only a portion of
the team, when the decision is not something that will affect overall
team performance or morale, or when the decision is necessary to avert a
crisis. However, limited
input can potentially result in weak team support.
3.
Majority
Decisions—A
majority vote leads to a decision. If
the decision to be made is contested by sub groups in the team, a
majority vote can potentially lead to friction between team factions.
4.
Unanimous
Decisions—After
a review of the information, the full team is in agreement.
5.
Consensus
Decision—Team
members agree to the decision even though they believe a different
course of action is preferable. In
a consensus decision, team members agree that they can commit to the
decision.
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