Narrative Report Decision Making Process
Narrative Report Decision Making Process
Reporters:
Topic Outline
Decision-Making Process
Learning Objectives
Discussion
Decision making is an essential part of planning. Decision making and problem solving
are used in all management functions, although usually they are considered a part of the planning
phase. According to Delaney (1982), decision-making may be defined as “the process of
identifying and choosing alternative courses of action in a manner appropriate to the demands of
the situation”. The engineer manager must adapt a certain procedure designed to determine the
best option available to solve certain problems. Decision-making, according to Nickels, “is the
heart of all the management functions.”
Managers will be faced with different types of problems and decisions as they do
their jobs. Depending on the nature of the problem, the manager can use different types
of decisions.
Well-structured Problems
Some problems are straightforward. The goal of the decision maker is clear, the
problem is familiar, and information about the problem is easily defined and complete.
Examples:
Examples:
CHARACTERISTICS
DECISION STYLES
Directive Style
Analytical Style
Conceptual Style
Behavioral Style
Strategic decision-making is about evaluating the pros and cons of a situation and
developing a step-wise approach to realize your goals.
2. Gather Information - Seek information on how and why the problem occurred:
Stakeholders: Talk to individuals or groups affected by the problem
Facts and data: research, benchmarking studies, interviews with credible sources,
observed events
Constraints: Lack of funding, resources, cultural barriers
Ask: What am I not seeing? What have I missed?
4. Choose the Best Action - Select the option that best meets the decision objective:
Consider factual data, your intuition, and your emotional intelligence when deciding a
course of action.
Accept that the solution may be less than perfect.
Consider the middle ground. Compromising on competing solutions may yield the best
decision.
5. Implement and Monitor the Decision - Develop a plan to implement and monitor
progress on the decision:
Step-by-step process or actions for solving the problem
Communications strategy for notifying stakeholders
Resource identification/allocation
Timeline for implementation
Measurements/benchmarks to gauge progress
References
https://blog.corpedgroup.com/blog/five-steps-to-making-strategic-decisions?
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