A520.3.1.RB_HansardCarey

A520.3.1.RB_Decisionmaking_HansardCarey

                The first word that comes to mind when I consider my decision-making style is informed. I like to be sure that I have as much information as possible about an issue before making a decision about it. If I do not have all of the facts about a situation, I cannot make a reliable and solid decision about it. I ask other people who have something to do with that topic and, if necessary, I also do my own research online.

Once I have an idea in my head about how an issue should be handled, I can then move on to the considerations of the team. Most decisions affect people other than me and their needs and opinions should be taken into consideration. Therefore, I feel as though collaboration is also a factor in my decision-making style. Having other people’s points of view considered is important to making the right decision for the team. I realize that the team cannot be consulted every time I have to make a decision. However, I know that, in the past, when decisions have been made that affect me and I have not been consulted, I have not been happy. For example, I was a public school teacher for 18 years. I firmly believe that the people in government making decisions about public schools have not been in the classroom in years if ever and therefore, have no idea what is going on or what will be effective. It was recently decided in our district that students who did not pass their initial assessments would be given unlimited attempts to retake those assessments until they received a passing grade. Now, as a parent or student, this may seem like fabulous news; but as the teacher, this concept is ridiculous. This is not the way the “real” world works. For the teacher, it was a lot of extra work because we were tasked with making sure that the students had done their original assignments and we also had to provide additional help and remedial assignments for the students prior to assessing again. When you have 160 students on your roster, even 10% of them is a lot to keep up with. The students began to take advantage of it, too, and it was not effectively helping those who it was designed to help…those who truly struggle and do not always “get it” the first time. To my knowledge, teachers were not involved in this decision and the overwhelming majority of the teachers I spoke with about it did not like it. I feel more appreciated when my opinion is taken into consideration and therefore, that is how I will deal with others.

I would also consider my style to be intuitive. When I am faced with an issue, I tend to have an initial thought or instinct about what to do. Although that doesn’t mean that decisions are made solely based on my gut feeling, my instincts definitely play a role. Sometimes I have found that my initial reaction is not always the right or best one, though. For this reason, being informed and collaborating with the team become very important parts of the decision-making process.

There are times when I exhibit other styles, as well. For instance, there are times when I have to make decisions involving my children. These types of decisions are very emotional for me and I tend to let those emotions overtake any other “style” I might normally incorporate.My husband usually steps in with a more level-headed approach to help me make those decisions.

The opposite styles to those that I have an affinity for would be misinformed, logical, individual, and rational. I see advantages to using all of these styles. Being logical and rational when making decisions are both solid approaches that allow leaders to step back and look at the issue with a clear head. Decisions can be made carefully, thoughtfully, and without emotional considerations. Making an individual decision can also be practical in certain instances. Even in the work environment we have to make decisions that either do not affect anyone else or only remotely affect them. In instances like that, I do not see anything wrong with making the decision alone. In fact, making the decision without others’ input may actually make the process easier and less convoluted. Finally, I even see making misinformed decisions to be valuable in certain instances. For example, having an outsider’s opinion about an issue can be valuable. Sometimes having too much information about or being too close to an issue can affect how you see it. An outsider will come in with fresh eyes and be able to give a point of view that others would not see. This person will not be tainted by all of the information that an insider would have and therefore, is able to make a better or more logical decision.