A520.3.1.RB_PALUGODCAROLYN

I feel that the words that describe my decision-making skills are somewhat contradicting.  For example, I do believe that I am self-motivating but I also seek advice and opinions from other people.  Most of it depends on how important of a decision it is and what the consequences are.  I think that the more severe the consequences, the more I look to others to help me to solve the decision.  I also like to think that I am intuitive in my process of making decisions but I also question my intuition many times.  I think this has to do with my lack of self-confidence and trust in myself.  Intuition has in the past been seen as an inferior method of problem-solving but scientific evidence is beginning to prove that intuition plays an important part in good decision making especially when quick decisions need to be made.  In an article published in a Boston College newsletter they explain “Analytic decisions are great for breaking things down into smaller parts, which is necessary for a math problem. But intuition is about looking at patterns and wholes, which is needed when making quick decisions about whether something is real or fake, ugly or pretty, right or wrong” (Pratt, 2012).

 

Another contradicting set of words I would use to describe my decision-making skills would be passive and active.  I can be very active in my abilities to make decisions, especially if I see that I’m on my own and I have to move forward.  But, sometimes, when problems seem very complicated or decisions seem risky, I can become very unsure and become very passive.  I believe that my fear of making an incorrect decision can sometimes paralyze me to the point where no decisions are made. 

 

 But the most descriptive words I think best describe these skills are feeling or emotional.  I am extremely emotional and my emotions tend to be tied up in every decision I make.  Most decisions boil down to fear and consequences.  I am either fearful of making a decision that could be detrimental to myself or that could hurt another individual.  Because of this, many decisions I make are based on the feelings I’m having at the moment.  In the video Routine and Complex Decision Making, they talk about trade-offs and how we can make decisions by thinking about what we will be “giving up” if we choose A or what we will be “giving up” if we choose B (Routine And Complex, n.d.).  Consequences play an important role in how I decide.

If I look at opposite words for emotional or feelings I come up with logical, rational and reasonable.  I do feel I could benefit and that my decision-making skills would be improved if I were less emotional and more rational when making conclusions.  As I mentioned, fear takes a front seat when making decisions and sometimes that can interfere with me seeing things clearly.  Part of this I believe is physiological because I am left-handed and therefore I believe I use more of my right-side of the brain. Whetton and Cameron describe right-hemisphere thinkers as “concerned with intuition, synthesis, playfulness, and qualitative judgment" (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 193).  They also go on to explain that “problem solving based on sentiment, intuition, or pleasure is frequently considered tenuous and inferior” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 193). I am less of a logical person and am more intuitive and feeling-based.  I also think that my overwhelming compassion affects how I decide because I am always worried about how my actions might hurt someone else.  I think learning how to look at things more logically would help me to eliminate unnecessary emotions out of the equation.  Although, I do believe a middle ground is important. I don’t think I should be overly logical because emotions such as fear and compassion can help us be aware of consequences and assure us that we are looking at all perspectives.  But in the same manner, we don’t want too much feeling to paralyze our decision-making abilities or cause us to make bad decisions based on our feelings at the moment.

References

 

Pratt, M. (2012). Intuitive decision-making based on expertise may deliver better results than analytical approach. Retrieved from http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/pubaf/news/2012-nov-dec/trust-your-gut.html

Routine and complex decision-making . [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/play/7A2UTV

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing management skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.