| Decisions
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|  The Process
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The decision process is about finding workable
alternatives, making responsible
decisions, and translating those decisions into reality.
As a decisionmaker, you must make
conscious choices to:
Base your decision on what will work best to meet the needs
in this situation with the current objectives
. Based on your mission
and policy, work with politics and
agendas to solve problems. Understand
that circumstances will change and you will need to revisit
decisions. |
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| Decision Making Weather
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| You may have to work in both pro-active
and re-active climates at the same time. |
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Much the same as weather,
a series of factors will influence how the decision process
is approached. Without trying to take the analogy too far, we
can easily recognize that the procedures used and solutions
found are influenced by the climate in which you operate. These
will not affect what is done as much as how things are done.
To determine the climate, ask:
- What is your credibility level?
- How free and confident do groups feel to contact you
about issues?
- What is your level of contact with them?
- How accurate, relevant, and up-to-date is their information?
- How many sides have they heard from?
The more communication and credibility,
the more pro-active the climate.
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| A Pro-Active
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In a pro-active climate, you can base the decision on
what best fits the situation to effectively solve the problem.
Keep everyone informed of your rationale and ask for their input.
Continue to build working relationships with key publics and
participants by ensuring that they hear from you (about both
good and bad news ) before they hear
from anyone else. Make sure someone contacts them regularly
throughout selection, implementation,
and followup. This will:
- Get the information you need
- Create consent for this solution
- Build needed support in future
actions
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| A
Re-Active Climate
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A re-active climate means that your decision
will be made for you. Try to identify which influences will
drive the decision and let people behind these influences know
the facts. This is crucial, as they will probably have formed
opinions without information. This misinformation will lead
to selected actions that will not solve the problem and will
lead to a morass of controversy and inaction. Help provide the
answers they need for their constituents. Work to become a reliable,
credible data source by providing all the information both positive
and negative. Highlighting negative information will also show
that you are aware of and are addressing the constituents' concerns.
Political people may not be willing to listen or understand,
or they may have already chosen sides and are unwilling to change.
In this case, focus on long-term objectives to build working
relationships rather than being sidetracked by bumps in the
system.
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| Taking Risks
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Consciously making a decision to bow
out is a valid path based on relevant factors. "Discretion
is the better part of valor," said the dwarf withdrawing
from the troll , just before
dawn. |
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People took risks and
worked hard to get the process to
the decision point. Either ignoring their input or silently
bowing out will:
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| Getting Frostbite
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| Pitfall:
Not making a decision is actually making a decision
not to solve the problem. Cowardly backing away without
an explanation is like running away from the dragon and
tripping on your own sword. You get killed, your horse
gets killed, and the dragon is that much stronger.
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Keep an eye out
for decisions that need to be made. In the action plan, set
up points where decisions are needed and who will make them.
Take action so that solutions can happen and the efforts put
into the process are not wasted. At the very least, explain
what the delay is and when action may occur. Use your communication
lines and communicate so participants
are not neglected. The following is a list of valid actions
which can freeze the process if taken to the extreme:
- Formal Reviews
- A few reviews are required to ensure needed perspectives
and buy-off. Determine who really needs to sign off on a review
and focus on those key people.
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- Solicitor/Legal Reviews
- Use these reviews as a way of clarifying issues to reach
a decision when or if consultations are unsuccessful. The
more consent and less opposition
you can develop in the process, the less likelihood of litigation.
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- Analysis
- If you need more data and it is significant
enough to be worth the cost, get it.
Too many repetitions of analysis or reviews will simply
repeat the same information. Additional formal reviews, delaying
with legal reviews or technical analysis without new information
indicates the conclusions are unpopular and someone is ducking
responsibility. If the findings are credible, they need to be
released. If the decision is based on other factors, those factors
need to be brought out to stand on their own. |
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| Go On |
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Handyman's
Tour ----->Action
Plan |
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Keep On Track
Analysis
Decision Analysis