What you need: Piece of paper and a pen or pencil. How to score your answers
This survey has been designed to measure an individual's decision-making style.
These questions determine your decision-making style as a learned or habitual manner of responding to a decision situation. Rather than being a personality trait, decision-making style is a habit-based propensity to respond in a certain way when making decisions.
The instrument measures five decision styles. A rational decision-making style reflects the use of a thorough search and evaluation of alternatives.
An intuitive decision-making style reflects the tendency to rely on hunches and feelings.
A dependent decision-making style is illustrated by a search for advice, input, and direction from others.
An avoidant decision-making style reflects the avoidance of decision-making.
Finally, a spontaneous decision-making style reflects the tendency to make snap, spur of the moment decisions
Negative:
Strongly Disagree=1 or Somewhat Disagree=2
Undecided:
Neither Agree nor Disagree=3
Positive:
Somewhat Agree=4. Strongly Agree=5
Question sets
SET One
I plan my important decisions carefully.
I re-check my resources to be sure I have the right facts before making decisions.
I make decisions in a logical and systematic way.
My decision-making requires careful thought.
When making a decision, I consider various options in terms of a specific goal.
SET Two
When making decisions, I rely upon instinct.
When I make decisions, I tend to rely upon my intuition.
I generally make decisions that feel right to me.
When I make a decision, it is more important for me to feel the decision is right rather than have a rational reason for it.
When I make a decision, I trust my inner feelings and reactions.
SET Three
I need the assistance of others when making important decisions.
I rarely make important decisions without consulting other people.
If I have the support of others, it is easier for me to make important decisions.
I use the advice of other people in making my important decisions.
I like to have someone to steer me in the right direction when I am faced with important decisions.
SET Four
I avoid making important decisions until the pressure is on.
I postpone decision making whenever possible.
I often procrastinate when it comes to making important decisions.
I generally make important decisions at the last minute.
I put off making decisions because thinking about them makes me uneasy.
SET Five
I generally make snap decisions.
I often make decisions on the spur of the moment.
I make quick decisions.
I often make impulsive decisions.
When making decisions, I do what seems natural at the moment.
SCORING
Scores of 18 or higher in any category
Indicates a high propensity to make decisions in the particular style measured.
Scores of 8 or less in any category
Suggest that you typically do not make decisions in the particular style measured.
Questions for Discussion
In terms of your decision-making profile, which of the five styles best represents your decision-making style (has the highest sub score)?
Which is the least reflective of your style (has the lowest sub score)?
Do you agree with this assessment? Explain.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your decision-making profile?
Which decision-making styles are most consistent and inconsistent with your own?
How would this affect your ability to make decisions with others, or work with others?
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Contributor's Note
Good decision making is an essential skill for career success generally, and effective leadership particularly. If you can learn to make timely and well-considered decisions, then you can often lead your team to spectacular and well-deserved success. However, if you make poor decisions, your team risks failure and your time as a leader will, most likely, be brutally short.
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