Information and Decision-Making Essay

Individuals in the world force decisions e very single solar day of their lives. Decision-making, however, is even more important in the lives of leaders because they ar campaign an organization which relies on their judgment and discretion for such decisions. Decisions lay down to be make c atomic number 18fully and ground on the most accurate and updated schooling available. Otherwise, the quality of the decision would be impact by whim, suppositions, and assumptions, which might be hard-fought to quantify and verify.Because of the understanding of the wideness of decision-making in an individuals and an organizations life, Maruska and Wheatley (2003) wrote How Great Decisions Get Made. Through their disk, they address the contrasting factors affecting the decision-making fulfillthose factors intrinsic to the decision-maker as well as factors that argon found in the extrinsic environment. Furthermore, they highlighted the sizeableness of gathering study, no conten t how difficult and routine it might seem. In addition to this, the authors proposed ten simplex yet comprehensive steps that can help a leader in the decision-making process.The basic framework that the authors seek to establish is that decision-making should not be made out of fear, where the leaders and the decision-makers feel backed into the corner and that they have little choices left. Rather, they espouse hope-based decision-making no matter how difficult a role may seem at first. The authors carefully explained the different outcomes and procedures that happen to populate who make decisions out of fear as opposed to making them based on hope. In this regard, the case studies offered freely throughout the book are helpful in elucidating the message that the authors were promoting.The books language and layout are simple to follow yet it offers profound insight into an otherwise difficult process. Ten Steps to Making Effective Decisions The first step that the authors posi ted is the impressiveness of enlisting the help of everyone in the decision making process (Maruska & Wheatley, 2003, p. 36). By doing this, more people would be able to provide inputs on how to make the decision. Moreover, they can provide additional information, which would eliminate fear out of the decision-making equation. Furthermore, by enlisting everyone, the leaders can avoid making enemies in the process.The countenance and third steps relate to discovering the shared hopes of everyone concerned and listening to the legitimate issues that have to be addressed. By discovering the hopes and the fears of the people who pass on be affected by the decision, the perspectives of leaders pass on become less biased and allow for be grounded on what the situation re everyy is (p 54). Based on the hopes and fears, it would be necessary to identify the options available for the group (p. 74). These options, however, should be backed up by data and by relevant information that cou ld aid the decision-making process.Maruska and Wheatley (2003, p. 90) highlighted the importance of right information. The world is teeming with information nowadays, thanks to the Internet. However, not all available information is relevant to the issue being decided upon. As such, by taking into account the hopes and the fears of the stakeholders in the decision-making process, the right information will be identified and they will be helpful in social occasion out the solution. The authors further believe that if there is 100% information, there would be zero debates.The task of the leader therefore would be to gather information and make sure that these pieces of information are indeed relevant. The authors also discuss that decision-makers should foresee difficulties along the way and be prepared with alternatives that were not to begin with planned. But even in these cases, information gathering is still very important as they can steer the decision-makers to the right or v ictimize decision (p. 118). Conclusion Maruska and Wheatley (2003) were able to describe fully the decision-making process and the importance of gathering the right information.The case studies that they cited were also helpful in highlighting the importance of this process. For people who are in government whose decisions are of the essence(p) to the life and death of individuals, literally, or to CEOs upon whom the life of the organization has been put, How Great Decisions are Made is a great textbook for decision-making. This process is never an open one. Rather, there are a lot of complications along the way. However, the authors were able to point a simple but not simplified view of the decision-making process and how information can make or break the effectiveness of the decisions made by leaders.They also highlighted the importance of teamwork and the process of discovering the shared hopes, dreams, and fears of the people component part with the leaders making the decis ion. After all, leaders are not yet deciding for themselves. Rather, they are making decisions on behalf of their subordinates and of all the people who will be affected by the decisions made by these leaders. The presentation of the book is also easy to follow and would be accessible to anyone interested in improving their decision-making skills.