A520.3.1.RB_FogartyShawn

A520.3.1.RB - Decision Making

Cautious, Logical, Active, Self-Motivated, Rational, Assertive

     I would consider myself cautious in the majority of decisions. The gravity of the decision has a lot to do with the way I will approach it. Choosing between chedder or american on a cheeseburger is a lot different than buying a new house. Part of the decision making process involves consideration to the 2nd and 3rd order effects. I rely significantly on logic and apply a common sense approach to a majority of day-to-day decisions. I consider myself to be self motivated, I can not stand to sit idle waiting for a decision unless there is a specific need to delay. If it is necessary to acquire more information or data I consider that part of the decision making process. Along with being logical, I also consider myself to make rational decisions. I consider it almost a personality flaw to make irrational and pure emotionally driven decisions. I rarely like to go out on a whim. Lastly, I tend to be assertive. When I make a decisions, good, bad or indifferent I stick behind it. On occasions where it turns out to have negative consequences I learn from that experience. That experience then goes back into my brain to be applied with logic on the next decision.
     The converse of my words above are: Risk Taking, Intuitive, Passive, Influenced by others, Emotional and Quiet. Although I sometimes I may make an intuitive decision it is never based on raw emotions or by being influenced by others. The decision itself is likely to have little or no significant impact as well.  I do not like to wait around or take unnecessary risks as it could waste time or possibly assets.
     I consider the decision making process to be unique in nature for each decision. Although the majority of my decisions fall into the categories listed within the first paragraph I have tapped into the those listed in the second paragraph. Since each decision is unique in nature I can see merit in remaining open minded and focuses on the task, or decision at hand. The military has a process that I apply at work on may occasions named plainly as the Military Decision Making Process. For short we call it MDMP. It has seven steps: Receipt of Mission, Mission Analysis, Course of Action (COA) Development, COA Analysis, COA Comparison, COA Approval, Orders Production. It is actually as bland as it sounds.