Chapter 4 Developing Decision-Making Skills 97
that would relate to her career interest. Chandra
decided the best alternative would be to enroll in
an FCCLA school-to-work program. This would
enable her to work part-time in a health services
occupation. See step 4 of Figure 4.9.
Carry Out the Decision
The next stage of the decision-making process
requires developing a plan of action. In doing so, it
is important to identify some of the obstacles you
may meet and then think about ways to overcome
them. In addition, this step includes assigning
a time to carry out each part of the plan. The more
specifi c your plan of action is, the easier it will be
for you to carry out that plan.
Chandra’s plan for carrying out her decision
began with contacting the teacher of the FCCLA
class. See step 5 of Figure 4.9. Then she had to work
with the guidance counselor to set up her classes
so she could carry out her plan. Because of their
positions and knowledge, these human resources
had to be involved in helping Chandra carry out
her decision. Other plans can be put in action
without needing to rely on others, of course.
Evaluate the Decision
Judging how well each decision went is a habit
everyone should develop. Taking this step helps
ensure that you will improve your decision-making
skills over time. You can look back to see if your
decision solved the problem. In step 6 of Figure 4.9,
Chandra would evaluate her decision and judge
how well it met her goal of earning money.
To evaluate a decision, consider these questions.
Did you think of every possible alternative? Did you
have enough information about each alternative?
Was the information accurate? Did you recognize
other alternatives after you started your plan?
Could you have identifi ed them earlier if you had
approached the decision differently? Did anything
unexpected happen? Were you able to follow your
plan of action, or did your plan need some changes?
How well did you predict the outcome of your
choice? Were there some obstacles for which you
did not plan or prepare?
your values and help you reach your goals, but
you may lack the resources you need to carry it
out. Another choice may involve resources you
have, but it does not completely meet your goals.
You can weigh all the facts, past experiences, and
valued opinions of others. Then you will be able
to make the best choice (Figure 4.11).
Chandra weighed her four alternatives. Her
after-school activities were important to her, but
she realized she might not be able to participate,
or take part, in all of them. She also wanted to
be sure that her choice would not result in her
neglecting her studies. She thought that 15 hours
of work per week would provide the spending
money she wanted. Her schedule would be tight, but
she could enroll in a school-related work program
in place of taking other elective classes. She espe-
cially liked the idea of gaining work experience
Humannet/Shutterstock.com
Figure 4.11 Journaling can be a good way to
evaluate your choices when making a decision.
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