4/6/09 - Decision Making

This whole class period was on decision making. All of us make decisions every day, but how many of us actually go about it in the most efficient and effective way? Dr. Feinberg discussed how our meetings can become more useful to helping the decision-making process through some planning, techniques, and prevention.

One thing Dr. Feinberg stressed was having an agenda for every meeting. It needs to have a structure and time element. You should know how the meeting will go before you get there. Having this agenda will give you an idea of how you expect the meeting to go. He also said to talk to some of your followers in your group and ask them what they are expecting to happen. He said if you won't like the outcome, don't have the meeting. Planning out your meeting beforehand will allow you to flow from topic to topic and keep control of where how the meeting goes.

One major decision-making technique discussed was the nominal group technique. This process allows each person to have their opinion expressed before arguing over a decision. The leader would go around the room and ask each person for a strength then a weakness until everyone has put in their opinion. Then, the group would discuss the validity of each attribute. This creates a more positive environment for everyone in the group to be heard. The only problem is that people don't usually like it at first. I could see how this could be a problem especially if you have a limited amount of time. Once the leader gets them through the process and makes it into a habit, I could see this method being very useful to decision-making in an organization.

A leader also needs to prevent unproductive behaviors and situations. It is always smart to address the potential problems beforehand. This way, these issues will be handled before getting to the major issues. A leader also needs to deal with people that cause problems. Many people play certain roles in a meeting that can hinder progress. They might interrupt constantly, have hidden agendas, or seek recognition in everything they say. A good way to handle this is to first acknowledge it and then make sure to validate each person. Making someone feel needed and important will really help the situation. Next, you should reframe them towards the goal. People have needs. Everyone needs to feel important. I know that I will try harder when a boss or someone in authority encourages me. It's so simple yet we often forget it.

As a leader, you guide your group to making important decisions. We all make decisions in our everyday lives as well. An organized, planned-out approach will often yield the best results. At the same time, you must make sure to validate your people. They must feel that they are worth something to the group and that their skills can be utilized. Depending on how you plan it and handle it, decision-making can either be a great learning experience or a nightmare.