Decision Making

Decision Definition
Decision can be defined as the selection of the most preferred and suitable outcome for the situation. According to Harald Ofstad, when a person makes a decision it means that he may have a positive behavior for something, or that he may have made up his mind for a certain job.
Here the question arises that what is decision making? Decision making is the cognitive process of selecting among several possibilities. The most important aspect of ‘decision making’ is that the person evaluates the outcome of available alternatives and select the one which suits him the best in particular condition.

Decision Making
To make a decision, one goes through a decision making process which helps him to identify the best choice for selection. Decision making process has several steps which are:

1.Purpose Identification: in the first step, problem is analyzed in detail. Problem identification and parties which are affected by it are the main purpose of this step.
2.Gather the Information: all related information is collected and their causes are studied.
3.Identify the Alternatives: in the third step, possible alternatives are identified in order to solve the problem which was defined in the first step of the process.
4.Evaluate the Alternatives: once the alternatives are defined, the next step is to evaluate the each possible outcome and their effect on the problem.
5.Selection: when each alternative is evaluated, the decision maker then needs to select the best one among them.
6.Take Action: the decision maker has to take action in favor of the selected alternative.
7.Review the Decision: in this step the decision maker experiences the results of his decision and can review if it had solved the problem or not. If yes, he is successful in decision making process. If not, he has to go through the process again for a better decision.

The world is an unpredictable region where everyone faces difficult circumstances and has to take decisions for smooth and stable life. Every single human being has to go through decision making in order to take decisions and move further in life. Our life is a result of minor and major decisions that we take in our life. Some of them are right while others need more consideration. Some of the personalities went through decision making process and took wonderful ones which changed their lives.
In 1914, Ford motors faced a problem of intense employee turnover due to repetition on assembly line and heavy physical work. Henry Ford, on consultation of James Couzens, introduced ‘Five-Dollar Day’ scheme where workers were given a raise of $5 per day. In addition, workday was reduced from 9hours to 8hours and an additional third shift was introduced which opened new job opportunities. This decision reduced the turnover rate from 370% to 16% and productivity was increased from 40% to 70% within a year.

New Year Decisions
New Year is that time of the year when a person is most motivated compared to other times of the year. People make New Year resolutions which they intend to achieve in the coming year. New Year decisions reflect the motives and objectives of the people. Some people decide they will lose weight, others decide to get married or to start their professional life.
New Year decisions, if taken correctly, can change one’s life. New Year decisions are like babies; they are fun but hard and difficult to maintain. Research shows that only 8% of the people are successful in achieving the New Year decisions. Other research shows that every year one in three Americans make their New Year decisions to make their lives better.
Positive New Year decisions result in positive results throughout the year. One should make these decisions after considering the results. If you want to make decision about which you have no prior knowledge, you need to consult someone for advice for these decisions play an important role in achieving the objectives.
One tip to make New Year decisions successful and lie in the 8% category, one can make a check-list or a regular review plan to check if you are on the right track towards the achievement or not.
It is believed that hope is not helpful in achieving the goal, it is intention and strong will that allows a person to take action on his New Year decisions. New Year brings new opportunities, so why not to grab them and make better New Year decisions for a better life.