decision-making model
... them. Realistically, we teach that the decision maker should consider more than five in most cases, more than three at the barest minimum. This gets away from the trap of seeing "both sides of the situation" and limiting one's alternatives to two opposing choices; either this or that.” (Ethic's Resource Center, 2004). I have found that having the ability to see “both sides of the situation” is extremely helpful in the decision making process. The third step in the decision-making process is to evaluate the identified alternatives. As the decision maker evaluates each alternative, they should be looking at the positive and negative outcome(s) of each. It is unusual to find one alternative that would completely resolve the problem and is heads and shoulders better than all others. When evaluating the positive and negative outcome(s), the decision maker must be careful to differentiate between fact and non-facts. “This distinction between fact-based evaluation and non-fact -based evaluation is included to assist the decision maker in developing a "confidence score" for each alternative. The decision maker needs to determine not just what results each alternative could yield, but how probable it is that those results will be realized. The more the evaluation is fact-based, the more confident he/she can be that the expected outcome will occur.” (Ethic's Resource Center, 2004). Daily I find the need to determine the results and the alternatives to the results of a decision I am faced with. The fourth step in the decision-making process is making the decision. When the decision maker is acting alone, this is the next step in the process after the best alternative has been selected. "When the decision maker is working in a team environment, this is where a proposal is made to the team, complete with a clear definition of the problem, a clear list of the alternatives that were considered and a clear rationale for the proposed solution" (Ethic's Resource Center, 2004) The fifth step in the decision-making process is to implement the decision. While this might seem like the next obvious step in the process, it becomes necessary to point out that deciding on the best alternative is not the same as implementing the decision. "The action itself is the first real, tangible step in changing the situation. It is not enough to think about it or talk about it or even decide to do it. A decision only counts when it is implemented." (Ethic's Resource Center, 2004) The sixth and final step in the decision-making process is evaluating the decision. “Every decision is intended to fix a problem. The final test of any decision is whether or not the problem was fixed. Did it go away? Did it change appreciably? Is it better now, or worse, or the same? What new problems did the solution create?” (Ethic's Resource Center, 2004) Now that there is a better understanding of a basic decision-making model, we can include the ethic filters that make up this a unique decision-making model. The foremost concern is not just decision-making, but ethical decision-making. "The ethical component of the decision making process takes the form of a set of "filters". Their purpose is to separate the sought after elements from their containing environment. (Ethic's Resource Center, 2004). At key steps in the process the decision maker can stop and run his/her considerations through these filters, to separate the ethical conations from the remainder of the decision. This ensures that the ethical issues imbedded in the decision can be given consideration. (Ethic's Resource Center, 2004) To make it easy to understand and apply these ethics filters we have adapted to mnemonic word PLUS. • P - Policies (Is it consistent with my organizations policies, procedures and guidelines?) • L - Legal (Is it acceptable under the applicable laws and regulations?) • U - Universal (Does it conform to th...