Choose Life Balance: Decision-Making Charts Clear Course 10/17/02

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Swaying between two or more options sometimes creates stress, but developing decision-making abilities can provide more freedom and control over life, according to a Kansas State University professor.

"A skilled decision-maker develops more alternatives from which to choose, and has a better chance of achieving the goals desired," said K-State Research and Extension family resources specialist Katey Walker. "Skilled decision-making is the key factor in making things happen instead of just ‘letting things happen.’ It involves using what you know, or can learn, to get what you need.

"In single-parent families, and families where both parents are employed, the environment in which decisions are made becomes very complex."

Common Mistakes in Decision-Making

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Like other skills, decision-making can be improved by study and practice, said Katey Walker, Kansas State University Research and Extension family resources specialist. Unskilled decision-makers can make common mistakes including:

* You do not choose an action because you do not recognize the potential. You may not have given enough time to consider alternatives, and thus have not thought of the best ones.

* You choose an action even though the possible outcome is unknown. An example is putting all your savings into a possibly risky investment.

* You underestimate or overestimate the importance of certain information.

* You neglect to make a choice because not everything can be predicted with certainty.

"Consciously going through the above decision-making steps can give you the practice you need to make well-thought-out decisions," Walker said.

* Dominance/Submission - win/lose: One person dominates the situation while others give in.

* Conversion - sometimes win/win, sometimes lose/lose: Additional facts are presented to persuade others to compromise by giving up something to get something.

* Integration - win/win: A blending of ideas develops when everyone can agree and support.

Decision-making steps are similar, regardless of whether used for resource management, family activities, consumer purchases or other situations requiring choices. Walker suggested the following steps:

Decision-making often involves more than one family member. Negotiation takes place daily within family, on the job and in the community, she said. Effective negotiation can be improved with practice. Walker outlined the following tips:

* Realize that few decisions are irreversible, although some are more difficult to change than others.

"If you approach decision-making as a process involving several steps, you will be more successful at it than if you make decisions lightly," Walker said. "Before choosing a solution, it is important to identify the problem and to think through alternatives and consequences as they relate to your family goals."

Along with a team of Extension specialists and agents, Walker developed materials to teach the importance of finding balance. Located on the Internet at www.oznet.ksu.edu/lifebalance/or at local Extension offices, the Choose Life Balance offers fact sheets, self-study courses, management tips and workshops.

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.