A632.7.4.RB - Collaborative Decision Making

Collaborative Decision Making

Napoleon is reputed to have said, “Nothing is more difficult and therefore more precious, than the ability to decide” (Evans, 2009). Decisions are part of our everyday life, from waking up to what to eat. Every single person is faced with making many types of decision; some are hard and some easy. No decision is the same and some carry unpleasant consequences. The Wharton text outlines specific frames, which are the combination of the beliefs, values, and attitudes we use when we make decisions (Hoch, Kunreuther & Gunther, 2001). These frames impact our decision making process and understand of situations. By understanding and analyzing these frames we can become better decision makers. Being patient and seeing the options from different perspective will aid in the decision making process. President Dwight D. Eisenhower evidently once said: ‘the most urgent decisions are rarely the most important one’s (Krogerus, 2012, p. 10). As leaders, we must be able to prioritized, situate and make decisions at the right level.

Many hard-hitting decisions are not made alone. Getting stakeholders involved in the decision process is an essential part of leadership. Creating an environment where collaboration is encouraged also is extremely important. Brown (2011), suggests that collaboration is not automatically happening, but it is possible with the use of team development techniques. Developing a team to depend on collaboration can help you make a better decision.

A specific situation where I was faced with a difficult decision was when I selected my next duty assignment. Even though this could essentially be an easy decision, it turned out to be a challenge. I was deployed and away from my family in a totally different time zone. My decision had to take into consideration my career and family. I was lucky enough to have great mentors that I could ask for advice and relay the information to my wife. I took a systematic process to my decision-making. I looked at the pros and cons of the decision and compared them with the choices presented to make the best logical decision. In the end, the decision to move to Tennessee was the best choice I could of made. The help that I received from my family and stakeholders made the decision process painless.

This experience helped me grow as a leader. I was able to utilize my resources to come with an efficient and effectual decision. Some of the takeaways from this experience are 1) Be patient and ask for help, 2) ask someone with more experience about their decisions and how they went about making the decision, 3) look for outside stakeholders for support, 4) be transparent to your stakeholders, and 5) pay forward what you learned to others in the future.

I was able to achieve my objective because I had stakeholders that care about my career and wanted to see me succeed. Bringing my family into the decision making process made me see the options from a different perspective. Looking back at my decision I made I can say there is little I could of done better with the situation I was in. Because I was deployed, I could not travel to the location I was being offered to make sure this is where I wanted to end up. I did, however, learn many things that will help me in the future. Currently, in about six months I will be faced with the same situation of changing my duty station. There are three things that I have already changed for my upcoming decision. One, don’t cut yourself short; see what’s available. Two, don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions; I was timid and scared to ask a question in my last experience that may have restricted possibilities. Finally, do what is right for your family and your career. Decisions are not easy, but there is always a right and a wrong one. I understand this clearly and ready to take charge of my future, no matter the consequences.

Reference:

Brown, Donald R (2011-01-11). Experiential Approach to Organization Development (8th Edition) (Page 264). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  

Hoch, S.J., & Kunreuther, H.C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1^st ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

G. Edward Evans, (2009) "Decision making", Library Management, Vol. 30 Iss: 6/7

Krogerus, M., & Tschappeler, R. (2012). The decision book: Fifty models for strategic thinking. New York: W.W. Norton &.