DevelopedbyHarveyF.SilverJ.RobertHanson

AdaptedforGeorgiaDepartmentofEducation

INSTRUCTIONS

Thisisaninformalsurveytolookatone’sapproachtomakingdecisions.Therearenorightorwronganswers.Asyouthinkabouthowyoumakedecisions,oneormoreofthecategorieswillsound“right.”Assignthenumbervaluesyouthinkbestrepresentyourdecision-makingprocesses.Pleasedon’tskipanyitems.

DIRECTIONS

Eachquestionhasfourpossibleresponses.Youmaydistributefivepointsoverthefourresponsesinwhateverwaysbestsuityourdecision-makingstyle.Forexample,inquestionone,ifyourapproachtodecisionmakingemphasizesoptionastrongly,thenyoumightassignafourtolettera.Iftoalesserdegreeyoutendtotakeonestepatatime,thenyoumightassignaonetoletterd.

Youmaychoosetodistributethepointsasfollows:

Idothisnearlyallthetime / = / 5
Idothisfrequently / = / 4
Idothismorethanhalfthetime / = / 3
Idothisinfrequentlyornotatall / = / 0

Whenyouassignlessthanafivetoagivenresponse,youthenmayassigntheremainingnumber(s)toasecondorthirdchoice.Forexample,

Whenassigningnumberstochoices,thetotalcanneverbemorethanfiveforeachquestion.

GeorgiaDepartmentofEducationKathyCox,StateSuperintendentofSchools

Page1of6·October23,2003·AllRightsReserved

1.Myapproachtodecisionmakingemphasizes:

a.

thinkingaboutthedecision,examiningitfromdifferentperspectives,analyzingthealternatives,andselectingthemostlogicalsolution.

b.

lookingbeyondthefactstothebroaderpicture,trustingmyintuitionindecidingwhatneedstobedone.

c.“gettinginthemiddleofthedecision,”findingouthowIandothersfeel,andchoosinganalternativethatfeelsrightandwillbeacceptable.

d.

takingonestepatatime,relyingonmypastexperiencetoguideme,andchoosinganalternativewhichispragmaticanddowntoearth.

2.Asadecisionmaker,Imostvalue:

a.

flexibility.

b.

thoroughanalysis.

c.

diplomacy.

d.

decisiveness.

3.Asadecisionmakerinhighstresssituations,Iammostlikelytoget:

a.

soinvolvedinthedetailsthatIlosesightofthebigpicture.

b.

carriedawaywithnewideastotheextentthatIignoretheimmediatedetails.

c.

soinvolvedinanalyzingthedecisionthatIfailtorecognizeinterpersonalneeds,myownandthoseofothers.

d.

soenmeshedinmyfeelings,Imayfailtothinkthingsthroughthoroughly.

GeorgiaDepartmentofEducationKathyCox,StateSuperintendentofSchools

Page2of6·October23,2003·AllRightsReserved

4.WhenI’mmakingatoughdecisionIpreferworkingwith:

a.

imaginativepeople.

b.

realisticpeople.

c.

intellectualpeople.

d.

friendlypeople.

5.Asadecisionmaker,Itendtopaymoreattentionto:

a.

logic.

b.

feelings.

c.

possibilities

d.

actions.

6.Asadecisionmaker,I’mmorelikelytobe:

a.quick.

b.

analytical.

c.

imaginative.

d.

emotional.

GeorgiaDepartmentofEducationKathyCox,StateSuperintendentofSchools

Page3of6·October23,2003·AllRightsReserved

INSTRUCTIONSFORSCORING

Whenscoringyourresponses,transferthenumberyouassignedforeachquestiontothesameletterbelow.Forexample,ifonthefirstquestionyouassignedafourtotheletterdandaonetothelettera,itwouldlookasfollows:

Example:

1.d.4

a.1

b.

c.

DOMINANTDECISION-MAKINGSTYLE

SequentialLogicalGlobalPersonable

1.d.

a.

b.

c.

2.d.

b.

a.

c.

3.a.

c.

b.

d.

4.b.

c.

a.

d.

5.d.

a.

c.

b.

6.a.

b.

c.

d.

TOTAL

POINTS

Mydominantdecision-makingstyleis

GeorgiaDepartmentofEducationKathyCox,StateSuperintendentofSchools

Page4of6·October23,2003·AllRightsReserved

BriefDescriptionsoftheDecision-MakingStyles

Sequential

Sequentialdecisionmakersneedlotsofspecificinformation,thedetailsofwhat’sbeingasked,instructionsonthebestwayofdoingthings,evidencethatparticularproceduresworkbest,andstepsfordoingthetaskcorrectly.Thesequentialdecisionmakermightask:“Whatarethesteps?Who’sdonethisbefore?HowdoIknowifI’mright?Wherearethedirections?What’stheendresultsupposedtolooklike?”

Logical

Logicaldecisionmakerswantthespecifics,butmorethanthattheywantreasons,defensiblepositions,andaclearunderstandingofthepossibleresultsofthedifferentchoices.Theytendtobalanceoffonesetofchoicesinrelationshiptotheothers.Theyexerciseobjectiveandcriticaljudgmentinordertonotmakechoicesbasedonpersonalfeelings.Whiletheyknownosinglechoiceisoptimal,theytrytomakethebestchoices(s)fromamongsttheavailableoptions.Thelogicaldecisionmakermightask:“Haveweexaminedallthepossibilities?Havewecorrectlydefinedtheproblem?Dowehaveenoughevidence?Canwedefendourchoice(s)basedonacriticalanalysisofallthedata?”

Global

Globaldecisionmakerswanttoexploreallthepossibilities.Thisprocessincludeswhatexistsaswellasthatwhichcanbeimagined.Theyneedthespecifics,butmorethanthattheyneedafeelingof“fit,”ofelegance,ofanexpandedandmoreinclusiveviewofwhat’spossible.Theyarenotrestrainedsomuchbydataasbyexploringthepossible.

Theyfeeltheneedtobemorecreative.Theirdecisionstendtobemoreinclusiveandfocusedonwhat’sgoodforeveryone.Theythinkinimagesandexpressthemselvesartfully.Theglobaldecisionmakermightask:“Isn’tthereabetterway?Haveweexploredallthepossibilities?Howcanwevisualizethis?Whatnewimagesneedtobecreated?What’sanartfulwaytoexpressthisproblem?Whatmetaphorsandvisualdevicesdoweneedtoexpressourdecision-makingprocessesandconclusions?”

GeorgiaDepartmentofEducationKathyCox,StateSuperintendentofSchools

Page5of6·October23,2003·AllRightsReserved

Personable

Personabledecisionmakersneedlotsofspecificinformation,goodproblemdefinitions,andthesharingofotherpeople’sexperiences. Butevenmorethanthattheyneedtoexploretheirownandotherpeople’sfeelingsaboutthedecision(s)beingfaced.Theylookforwaystodrawouttheirownandothers’values.Theywantthedecision-makingprocesstobecollegial,cooperative,andsensitivetotheindividual’sneeds.Theydecidebestwheretheenvironmentisrelaxed,friendly,andsupportiveofindividualneeds.Theyneedtotalkextensivelytomakesureeachperson’spoint-of-viewhasbeenexpressedandheard.Theyneedcontinualverbalizationsofstepstakenandconclusionsdrawn.Theysearchforbothconsensusandafeelingof“groupownership”ofprocessandconclusion.Personabledecisionmakersmightask:“HowdoIfeelaboutwhatI’mdoing?DoIhaveallthespecificfactsaswellasfeelings?Howdoestheprocessrelatetomypriorexperience?DoIlike(dislike)what’shappening?Isthisagooddecisionformeaswellasforothers?Willthisdecisionbedifficultforotherstounderstandandaccept?”Theytendtolookforprecedent,tobenefitfromtheexperienceofothers,tobesomewhatpreciseaboutdetailsandprocedures,andtokeepgoodrecords.Theirapproachtendstoemphasizethepracticalandthedoable.

GeorgiaDepartmentofEducationKathyCox,StateSuperintendentofSchools

Page6of6·October23,2003·AllRightsReserved