Decision-Making Snags and Successes

Wiki Education Foundation all-staff meeting in San Francisco, July 2016.

Source: Frank Schulenburg/Creative Commons

There was a positive ring in the Journal of Adolescence noting that “by the age of 15 many adolescents show a reliable level of competence in metacognitive understanding of decision-making, creative problem solving, correctness of choice, and commitment to a course of action” (Mann et. al., 1989).

If we embraced that research more than 30 years ago, we might have assumed that when these young people became adults, society would have a group of capable decision-makers. We might have expected that by 2024 they would be making decisions that were beneficial for themselves, families, friends, and even the country. While it seemed encouraging on paper, many outside factors—from family dynamics to politics—interfered with that prediction.

How to overcome stumbling blocks to successful decisions

In today’s environment, rational decision-making can be a challenge. Decision-making is about having the courage of one’s convictions, not necessarily about others agreeing with you. When you propose a plan or decision and someone says, “I don’t agree with you," what might you do?

Regardless of the situation, this simple approach can help: Take a minute to review your plan. Assess the situation. Consider alternatives. Make a pros and cons checklist. Then proceed with confidence.

Four personal factors can be stumbling blocks to success:

• Desire for acceptance. If you are worried as to how your decision will be accepted by family, friends, co-workers, children, spouse, or lover, ask yourself why. Then ask them. Consider their views. If you are convinced that you are making the right choice or decision—despite what others think—then act upon what you believe is the best decision. Whether by intuition or logic, make a choice and be grateful.
• Concern about trade-offs. Anxiety can unnerve you. When resolving a situation, what happens if you think you may have made too many concessions? You might seek the advice of others. You can try to renegotiate. Or accept the fact that everything has a price. If your decision helps you meet your goals, then proceed.
• Fear of failure. You may be fully confident of your decision, but suddenly you realize that success or failure rests with you. If you are willing to accept the praise for success, you must also be prepared for consequences if you fail. That said, focus on the win. Review your strategies. Refuse to be intimidated. Work towards satisfactory solutions.
• Determination to follow through. A decision that is important to you may not be as important to others. If you want your plans to come to fruition, you must take the responsibility to make them happen. Revise your strategy if necessary and work with others to achieve success.

Taking the lead

We often read studies regarding who is the better decision-maker, men or women. Although men are often considered to make riskier decisions, it frequently depends upon the situation. According to a report in Frontiers in Psychology, “Understanding whether, and how, acute psychosocial stress affects risky decision-making in real life has far-reaching consequences because every human will have occasion to make an important decision under pressured and anxiety-provoking circumstances.” (Dryer et al. 2022)

Even before women entered the workforce, many were determined to be taken seriously as decision-makers. We know the names of many of these women, but we often forget about Maggie Walker, who advocated successfully for the rights of African American women. Commitment, activism, and follow-through brought women the right to vote, equal pay for equal work, and before Roe v. Wade was overturned, freedom of choice.

Looking at today’s divided political environment we see that women may be playing a leading role in decision-making. There are some who want to win back the right to freedom of choice. And there are women who prefer to turn back the clock. It seems there will be stressful times ahead.

Copyright 2024, Rita Watson, MPH