Weekly Workforce Development Skills: Steps to Guide Decision-Making

Providence House continues to build our residents’ workforce development skills. This week, residents are learning skills for decision making. This language is used in interactions with residents, and staff will share how they have incorporated these lessons into their lives.

Topic: Steps to Guide Decision Making

1. Identify the decision: Sometimes, it may not be obvious what decisions you have to make to reach a goal or solve an issue. Clearly defining the decision can help you stay focused on making the right choice. 
2. Gather information: Before making a decision, learn as much as you can about the situation. Study the subject and find sources to help you get the information to make an informed decision. 
3. Determine options: To make the best choice, you have to know what your choices are. Clearly define all of your options and plans. Be sure to have at least two possible plans to consider. 
4. Compare options: Consider the pros and cons of each option. It may help to make a chart with the good and bad points of each option listed. With a list, you can clearly see which option has the most benefit while causing the fewest problems. The number of pros and cons on the list is not as important as the size of the benefit or harm. 
5. Choose an option: Using all of the information you have gathered, decide which choice is best. Make a decision to follow through with that option. 
6. Create an action plan: An action plan is a list of steps that you will follow to reach your goal based on your decision.
7. Review your decision: After you have followed your action plan, go back and think about your decision. Make sure it was the right decision. Think about what you have learned about your decision–making process to improve it next time.