In decision making, it is likely there is a forward and backward movement in following the procedure due to the recursive nature of decision making. The following are the most common steps in decision making:
Create a constructive environment
In creating a construction environment, an objective needs to be established. The people involved play an important role in the decision and a good stakeholder analysis is to be done ensuring that the right people are asked the right question. Not involving the people concerned in a decision is regarded to be an act of aggression.
Generating potential solutions
This step is critical to decision making. The better your alternatives are, the more likely you are to make a good decision. Generating alternatives allows for a deep look into the problem and the more you assume there could be a better solution, the more likely to make the best decision possible. All alternatives should be considered as well as no decision. In as much as no decision could be disastrous in most cases, it is possible to be a better option than available alternatives. The most popular tool used to generate alternatives is brain storming.
Evaluating alternatives
In decision making, there is always a degree of uncertainty on every alternative. It is essential to analyse the feasibility, risk and implication of each of the alternative. There are various tools used in evaluating these alternatives which include linear programming, cost-benefit analysis, decision tree and simulation.
Choose the best alternative
After the alternatives are evaluated, then the best option that fits for the objective is chosen. This might involve you deciding as group. The strategy use in decision depends on the nature of the decision maker. A pre-programmed automated system could be used to choose the best alternative.
Check your decision
This is another step that is important but most time it is ignored. It is necessary you check your decision and ensure that all conditions have been considered and the best decision has been made. It is obvious the catastrophic consequences that over-confidence, groupthink, and other decision-making errors have wrought on the world economy.
Communicate your decision
The decision should be well communicated to the people to carry out the project and the people affected by it. In the process of communication, avoid being economical with the truth, ensure that the projected benefit, risk and likely drawbacks are well explained.
