I can honestly say that I could not
see myself ever using a mathematical equation to make decisions. There are
several reasons for this; one being that I am not the greatest at math and
think it would be much too confusing for me to identify variable mathematically,
and the other being that too much can be left to chance that way. However, it
appears that either way, I have a high likelihood of making a good decision. Hoch
& Kunreuther (2001) argue that fact stating that, eventually, making a
decision mathematically (optimally) and making the same decision with the way
people would actually make them converge at some point (p. 51). To me, making
the decision mathematically is like deciding who to employ simply by looking at
a resume. Meeting people and taking other factors about them into account would
help me make a better, more informed decision about who to hire.
The way in which I make decisions
varies depending on the issue’s level of importance to me. I do notice a couple
of trends, however. I frequently ask other’s opinions and consider them in my
decision-making process. For instance, recently, I led a project at work to
update some of the training materials we use. I use the software that I was
creating training materials for every day; therefore, I asked other members of
my department who were not as familiar with the software to evaluate my
materials. The decisions made about what to include or omit from the training
were a direct result of feedback from others on the team. The initial decisions
about what to include and how to include it had been made based on my past
experiences learning the software myself. Getting input from other people
enabled me to make decisions based on many different perspectives.
Something else I do when making
vital decisions is deliberate a long time. My tendency is to ask for opinions,
consider them all, do more research, and then make my decision. This process
involves multistage decision making on my part. This has occasionally led to
problems because a decision needs to be made quickly. When forced, I can
quickly make a decision but always second-guess myself. However, I need to
learn to take all of the knowledge I have into consideration and make effective
decisions in a more timely manner. I am always concerned with making the right
decision…even though I know there is not truly a perfect decision.
The formula outlined by Hoch &
Kunreuther (2001) may help in my forward planning, though. If the formula can
narrow down my choices, it may help me focus my critical questions in only one
or two areas, thereby making the decision easier and faster for me. On the
other hand, Hoch & Kunreuther also state that, “everyday reasoning provides
nearly optimal decisions” (p. 61). In my life so far, I have made adequate
decisions. Although my opinion may change as the class progresses, I do not see
myself making significant changes to the steps I normally follow. As they say,
if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on
making decisions. (1 ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
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