Decision Making Model Analysis

Introduction

This discussion will summarize a decision-making model. It will describe the model, identify and discuss each step relating to this decision making model. Afterwards I will apply this model to a current job-related activity pertaining to a decision making experience and describe how critical thinking influenced the entire process.

Decision Making Model

This particular decision-making model is consisted of five components: Framing, deciding, communicating, implementing and evaluating. A sound decision-making process based on reliable and accurate information leads to smart decisions. The steps in this model are listed in a linear approach but the processes are interrelated and can be repeated as needed throughout the process.

FRAMING

Ð'* Clarify purpose and boundaries of the decision

Ð'* Gather information

1. Identify who is impacted by the decision

2. Identify who are the decision makers

3. Identify what knowledge or expertise is needed to make the decision

4. Identify what information or resources currently exist to help with the decision-making process.

Ð'* Define time line of the decision

Ð'* Communicate to affected parties who are making the decision and the rationale for it.

DECIDING

Ð'* Define how the decision will be made (e.g. consensus, voting, etc.)

Ð'* Use appropriate tools that support data gathering (e.g. affinity diagram, brainstorming, fishbone, flowchart, force field, how-how, interrelationship digraph)

Ð'* Make the decision through the integration of ideas and data, and negotiation and prioritization of ideas

Ð'* Identify who (individual or group) will implement the decision

COMMUNICATING

Ð'* Summarize the rationale for the decision

Ð'* Communicate the decision, why it was made and the rationale for it

IMPLEMENTING

Ð'* Define the steps in implementing the decision including the timeframe for completion

Ð'* Define the method for reporting when something is completed and who receives the report

EVALUATING

Ð'* Identify the process for assessing impact of decision

This model closely resembles the decision making process of supporting the corporate network. Throughout my career, most of the individuals and teams made key decisions that had the potential to adversely affect the impact of corporate business activities, customer network resource availability, or single departmental work groups. While administrating weekly changes submitted from the network planners for implementation, our team follows this process. Since these processes are interrelated, they are repeated and used as needed throughout the change control process.

During the framing process, all the information is retrieved related to the change on a change control ticket submitted by the requestor. This request can come from the network planner, engineer, customer or management. The change passes through the network approval process after the change control ticket is submitted from the requestor. The business case for the change is evaluated. An example of a change varies from migrating network service from a critical data center, upgrading hardware or service to a remote facility, configuring