5 Basic Tips for decision making
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Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have to choose the best option from the alternatives? Oh yes, this is is the point where confusion sets in because you don't know which of the alternatives is best for you. In a situation like this, you might just need to identify your decision to be made, list your alternatives, and finally act on your decision.
This guide will guide you using 5 Basic Tips and practices that will help you choose the best option when it comes to decision making.
The complete guide on how to make a good decision in life during a time of confusion and or uncertainty. This article will help an individual who wishes to make a certain life decision. It will also help an individual who wants to make a decision but is confused to make the right decision and and and when to make these decisions.
Things to Be Discussed in this article:
• Meaning of Decision Making.
• Steps involved in good decision-making.
• Factors that influence decision-making.
• Conclusion on decision making.
What is Decision Making?
Decision Making is the act of choosing one option out of the many available alternatives. You can't decide a thing when it does not have an alternative. You might just need to go for the only available option. But in a case where there are alternatives to your options, there is a need for you to make a decision. A decision made over a subject can either make or mar such an object.
Decisions are made based on many reasons. It can be a life decision, career decision, marriage, or even family decision. Whatever the case is, these 5 Basic Tips to a good life decision making will help you to choose the right decisions based on some factors that will be discussed later in this article.
Steps Involved in decision making
To make a good life decision, the following steps and guides must be duly followed.
The 5 Basic Tips for life decision making are;
1. Identify a decision
2. List decision alternatives
3. Choose the best alternative to your decision
4. Act on your decision
5. Evaluate your decision.
1. Identify a Decision
Firstly, in the decision-making process, you need to identify a decision to be made. This requires that you define the problem or situation that requires a decision. This will help you to identify the type of decision to make.
For example, the problem or the situation might be on what type of car to buy. To identify this decision, You have to decide on five (5) things, which are;
• What you will use the car for.
• The exact type of car you have always wanted
• The color
• Where to buy the car
• The available money and other needs.
With this, you have identified a decision you want to make, which is to buy a car.
2. List Decision alternatives
Alternative here means that you determine what exactly to choose. For example, you decided to buy a car. Now you make an alternative either to buy a second-hand car, Red car or Blue car, From Which Dealer, etc...
3. Chose the best Alternative to your Decision
After you might have listed your decision's alternatives, Now it is the right time to go for the best of the alternatives. Money available and other factors such as other personal and family needs will determine what alternative you will choose.
You might need to choose a red car because most of your dresses are red and maybe your favorite color is Red. You might need to buy a second-hand car instead of a new car because the money available cannot buy a new car. At this point, you just need to choose the best alternative that will not affect your budget.
4. Act on your decision
After you might have decided on the particular decision to be made, the next thing is to take action and make your decision comes to reality. We have been using a car in this illustration, then acting on your decision means going to buy that Red or Blue car.
5. Evaluate your decision
This is the last stage in decision making and it involves you judging the quality of the decision you made. Does the car worth it? Should you have chosen a Red or Blue Car? This evaluation will tell you if you truly have chosen a good decision.
Decision evaluation helps to boost self-confidence in decision-making. Since this worked for you, you won't have much problem making another decision in the nearest future.
Factors that influence decision making
As an individual, the decision you make can be influenced by many factors around you. Some of these factors can be controlled while some cannot. Let's quickly check five (5 major factors that can influence an individual's decision-making.
The 5 factors that can influence decision making are;
1. Resources
2. Need and Want
3. Family
4. Friends
5. Values
1. Resources
Knowledge, time, money, and skill are the major resources necessary in decision-making.
2. Need and Want
Needs are the immediate or inevitable desires that are needed to be met with immediate effect, while wants might not necessary. So, to make a decision, you need to understand if it is necessary at that particular time or not. Some decisions can wait.
3. Family
Family can sometimes serve as an inspiration behind our decision. A good decision can be achieved quickly with family support.
4. Friends
Just like family, friends and associates can also influence decision-making. For example, if a friend buys a yellow car, you may be convinced with his choice and resort to buying a yellow car too.
5. Values
The value such a decision will bring to you can also influence action on it. For example, a decision that better one's life will be taken more seriously than any other decision.
Conclusion on good decision making
Making a good decision can be tough sometimes. It requires focus, knowledge, and a lot of patience to achieve a goal. A bad decision can greatly affect one's life and this is more reason why you should choose a good decision. A car has only been used as an illustration in this article. Put your situation in this case and it will help you to choose rightly.