A630.4.4.RB - How Companies Can Make Better Decisions_WitteWilliam

After viewing the video in the previous activity, reflect on the following questions in a well-written post on your Reflection Blog.

• Marcia Blenko argues that decision effectiveness correlates positively with employee engagement and organizational performance. How do you think that employee engagement relates to decision effectiveness?

     I think that an engaged employee is an employee who cares.  Rather than simply sitting back and doing the minimal work required to earn their monthly paycheck, a caring employee goes above and beyond what is required of them to get the job done.  They have a vested interest in the success of the company.  Because of this interest, they will work hard to make the best decisions possible not only for their own career-oriented self-interests but because they honestly want to do what is best for the success of their corporation.  The more engaged an employee is with the company, the more they will care and the better their decisions are in the bigger picture.  They become part of a living, breathing organism and will do whatever it takes to ensure that every requirement for it is met, thereby leading to better decisions.

• What are some impediments to good decision making?

     One of the biggest impediments is one's own self-interest.  People tend to focus on the "me" aspect of their lives and what can get them ahead.  This may prove fruitful in the short-term for the individual, but it damages employee relations and will not lead to ultimate success.  Additionally, failure to see the "big picture" of how individual actions help or hurt the organization is also an impediment to good decision making.  Seeking the advice of others and becoming more goal-centric can help one to overcome such impediments as these.

• Blenko suggests that there are four elements of good decisions: quality, speed, yield, and effort. In your opinion, is there anything missing from this list?

     I think one of the key components missing is relationships.  Having a good relationship in the decision-making process leads to team-building.  It also ensures that you have somebody to turn to when needed.  I think that positive relations with co-workers and the ability to turn to someone for advice before making a judgment call are key but oft-neglected elements of the decision process.

• What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

     My major take-aways are those of the four elements for good decisions.  I had never really thought clearly about what comprises a good decision, at least in terms of a few small (but core) components.  I think this realization will help me analyze decisions within their various subcontexts.  This will allow me to make quick, more effective decisions as a whole, while also allowing me to explore possible alternatives.