Think about a significant decision in your workplace. This may one that is currently being made or one which has been made in the past. It should be one about which you have some awareness so that you have a factual basis from which to work. It is important that you use a situation that has some significance (so- don’t use a decision like whom to schedule for the late Saturday shift). Try to avoid a decision where the answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (for example, should we close early on Christmas Eve). I want you to write a report in which you do the following:
1. Briefly state the context of the decision
2. State the decision as a question
3. Imagine that you are the one making the decision and describe how you would use the steps in the classical/rational decision making process to make the decision
a. Provide some specifics. For example, do not say “I would set criteria”, but describe the criteria you would set
b. You have already taken step 1 by stating the decision as a question.
c. Do not forget to describe the alternatives, the assessment of the alternatives and the rationale for selecting the one you selected
d. The description of the implementation could be fairly brief unless you are actually talking about a decision in which the rational approach was used and which was implemented. The decision you used DOES NOT have to be one in which the rational approach was actually used; we are just imagining that you are using the rational approach. Also, the decision DOES NOT have to be one which YOU made; it could be a decision faced by your manager and you are imagining how you would use the rational approach if you had to make the decision.