Describe the 6 step decision making process.

In order to make good decisions, you can go through a decision making process. It may not be necessary to do this with simple decisions such as what to have for dinner, but it can be very helpful when faced with challenging decisions such as which career to choose. The first step is to keep your goal visible. In other words, your goal should drive your decision making. It's important that your decisions help you move toward not away from your goal. Next, you will need to gather relevant information. Decisions should be data based. The nature of the decision will guide you as you determine what information you need. For example, if you are making a career decision, you will need information about your strengths and weaknesses and information about various careers (training requirements, job tasks, etc.). The third step is when you should be creative. Here, you will want to identify and explore tons of options. For instance, you wouldn't want to only explore one or two careers, but rather identify a long list of possible career paths. During this stage, you should not yet judge the options. The fourth step is where you evaluate each option you identified. Weigh the pros and cons of each choice and then make a decision about which one to choose. Although many individuals will think they are now done with the process, there is actually one more step- assess your choice. Ask yourself whether this option had positive consequences or the desired effect. Think about whether this decision helped you move toward your goal or not. If so, celebrate your choice. If not, go back and re-explore other options.