Decision Making Styles

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Decision Making Styles

The decision making process is one of the most important skills of today's leading manager's. Forces and influences depending of the work environment and the type of organization influence this process. The ability to make wise decisions will also play an important function in your personal life as well. This process involves four (4) different of decision-making styles; the democratic style, the autocratic style, the collective – participative style, and the consensus style. The correct use of any of theses styles, can determined the success or failure of a manager and consequently the organization.

Thinking styles give you very powerful techniques to help you understand yourself and others. It is ideal for use in situations at work where strong relationships are critical for success. In at team environment, an understanding of the cognitive and linguistic behavioral dynamics that are operating within the can be very valuable in help yourself to work more successfully with your colleagues. (1997, Thinking Styles. www.consultingtools.com).

Cognitive dynamics involves the mental processing and thinking which takes place individually and with the team. Linguistic dynamics are the words and language patterns which people use, and behavioral dynamics of thinking styles are the those behaviors which occur as a result of the way in which a person think. (1997, Thinking Styles).

With the understanding of these dynamics and the knowledge of the concept of critical thinking, which involves the awareness of a set of interrelated critical questions, ability to ask and answer critical questions, and the desire to actively use the critical questions. (1990, Browne M., Kaplan R., Critical Thinking)

The decision making process involves; recognizing and defining problems, evaluate the effect of the problem, identifying the causes of the problem, frame the alternatives, evaluating impact, make the decision, evaluate the decision and measure results of the decision. With this information in mind you can make a sound decision.

Influences and forces can be have an effect on the decision making process. Many forces like gender, culture, ethnicity, religion, race economic status, ethics will make a difference in how a manager will make the decision.

Manager's stance toward information, the amount and type of information available, mental sets and perceptual filters, organizational structures and procedures, and power relationships among the players will influence on the way the manger make the decision. Managerial decisions have been and will continue to be a product of judgment and luck as well as expertise.

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