Have you ever made a decision that went according to your plan? Decision-making is to cut off deliberations and to come to a conclusion. It is a process of selecting the best alternative for problem-solving. The decisions are oriented toward objectives such as human values, goals, and efficiency. Decision-making is a fundamental aspect of our daily life such as choosing what to eat, deciding what you wear, and selecting routes.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CRITICAL THINKING
- Decision-making is a mental process because the final selection of alternatives is made after critical thinking.
- Decision-making is a non-stop and ever-going process, it will be taken throughout one’s lifetime.
- Decisions are the backbone of management, nothing can be performed without making decisions.
- Decisions may also be negative. To make improvements or to end a process, negative decisions are taken.
- Some decisions are taken by an individual and others are group decisions, where all the family members contribute and participate in decision-making.
The Quranic verse reminds us to ask for help to not anyone except our lord;
“Oh Allah, your mercy do I hope for; so do not leave me to myself, not even for the blink of an eye. And make good for me all of my affairs, there is no worthy of worship except you.”
DECISION TREES
- Problem – the problem must be analyzed thoroughly. The facts and the reason should be identified for the arrival of the problem, sometimes lack of understanding may lead to misunderstanding of the problem.
- Alternatives – the more a person can think of the alternative solution, the better the chance of finding a solution by looking through the pros and cons of each alternative. The power of thinking is a great asset to decision-makers.
- Different Alternatives – the phase of decision-making is a mental assessment of each alternative. Sometimes the conscious mind is switched off from the problem and the subconscious mind takes over and gives excellent ideas.
- Decision Process – after considering the desirable and undesirable consequences of filtering each alternative, the final choice is made. The final selection of alternatives is made based on logic or by judgment, common sense, or intuition.
- Implementation of Decision – after making a decision, proper implementation is important. For a successful implementation of the plan, all the working members must cooperate and engage themselves in the ideas.
- Feedback – when a decision is taken, it should be followed until the implementation and must end up with feedback. The process of using feedback will analyze the practicability of the decision. Decisions can be improved by removing the shortcoming, if any.
TYPES OF DECISION
MAJOR AND MINOR
Major decisions have greater importance and require thoughtful consideration. The purchase of a house, car, or products that are highly expensive falls in the category of major decisions.
Minor decisions have less priority and importance. They require less expense and less thought. Minor decisions are more related to day-to-day decisions.
PROGRAMMED AND NON-PROGRAMMED
Programmed decisions are those which are already planned and are repeatedly used. For example, yearly whitewash and cleaning of a house is done. Every arrangement of a party is a programmed decision, where minor changes are effected as the situation arises but the general plan is the same as the previous one.
Non-programmed decisions are those that are new and proper thinking is required to make such a plan. Their need arises because of some specific circumstances and the decision maker has to spend quality time dealing with non-programmed decisions.
ROUTINE AND STRATEGIC DECISION
Routine decisions are also known as tactical decisions. They are not very important they are taken in the context of day-to-day household activities. They do not involve any high risk of uncertainty. Every individual makes small and routine decisions.
Strategic decisions relate to decisions of greater importance. They involve high risks and uncertainty. They may involve large investments or expenditures on major items and they are non-repetitive in nature.
PERSONAL AND GROUP DECISIONS
Personal decisions are confined to an individual. Every family member has to perform tasks that are related to his daily routine, career, personal work, etc. Group decisions concern every individual in the family. In group decision making members of the group contribute their ideas, opinions, and perspectives toward reaching a final choice on a particular matter.
EMERGENCY DECISION
These decisions are taken on an urgent basis. They were not in the plan of action, but due to unexpected circumstances, they had to be given priority. Some emergency decisions are very complicated and require deep thinking and appropriate time to solve.
Remember your lord when you are suffering from negativity,
“Oh Allah, I seek refuge in you from anxiety and grief, from inability and laziness, from avarice and cowardice, from being engrossed by debt, from being overpowered by men”
CONCLUSION
Decision-making is a very important process that every individual makes in their life considering the consequences and choosing the best alternative from the choices based on information and personal values.