1. Developing Your Decision Making Skills
Goodwill Works Curriculum
Copyright ©2010 Goodwill Industries International, Inc

2. Making Positive Choices
Problem Solving and Planning Ahead

3. Module Objectives Recognize problems or decisions that need to be made
Identify how and why we avoid making decisions
Use a process to decide on solutions
Learn from decisions made
Use decision-making to reach goals

4. Class Ground Rules Accept all points of view Be respectful
Be recognized by the facilitator before speaking
Do not interrupt when someone else is talking
Be brief and to the point

5. Class Ground Rules (continued)
Listen with an open attitude and without bias
May disagree over ideas, but no personal attacks
Avoid side conversations
Silence cell phones
Participate in discussions and activities

6. Recognizing Problems or a Need for Decision-Making
Observing
Listening
Asking

7. Recognizing Problems or the Need for Decision-Making by Observing
Watch for:
Mistakes others make
Negative looks on people’s faces
A change in the way someone acts toward you
Failure to meet your goals

8. Recognizing Problems or the Need for Decision-Making by Listening
Listen carefully to:
What your boss says
What your customers say
Hints your co-workers give you
Advice your counselor or friends give you
Your conscience

9. Recognizing Problems or the Need for Decision-Making by Asking
Ask if your perception is correct
Ask for advice
Gather more information

10. How Do We Avoid Solving Problems or Making Decisions?
Deciding it is not a problem
Blaming someone or something else
Making it someone else’s problem
Doing nothing

11. What Can Happen When We Avoid Problems or Making Decisions?
The problem/situation gets worse
More problems arise
Someone else solves it her/his way
We stay stressed or angry
We do not reach our goals

12. Why Do We Avoid Solving Problems or Making Decisions?
Cannot think of a solution
Hope someone else will solve it
Are afraid of consequences
Are not afraid of consequences
Think we need more resources
Need more willpower

13. Importance of Decisions
“You are free to choose, but the choices you make today will determine what you will have, be and do in the tomorrow of your life.”
—Zig Ziglar

14. The Decision Making Process3 2 4
Option B 1 5 6

15. Making the Decision Get all the information you can
Do not make assumptions
Decide which consequences you can live with
Get advice
Do not decide too fast or too slow

16. Are You Stuck?
Compromise
Get help
Toss a coin

17. Decisions and Goals and Values
Will your decision:
Prevent you from reaching your goals?
Violate your values?
Hurt someone?
Require you to do something illegal?

18. Big Decisions, Small Decisions
Each decision can take us down a path to becoming:
In control
Independent
Who we want to be
What we want to be

19. Decision Making to Get What You Want
Be a good parent
Get a better job
Stay healthy

20. Learning From Decisions
What could I have done differently?
Think about:
What went well
What did not go well
What could be done differently
Yours and other people’s decisions
Decisions with positive and negative results

21. Living With Your Decisions
I did the best I could.
Did you make the right decision?

22. Taking Control
Watch and listen for problems and decision making situations
Decide not to avoid problems or making decisions
Follow a process for decision making and problem solving
Work towards prevention
Get help finding solutions
Learn from your decisions
Use Goodwill power

23. Decision Making Checklist
Do I have all the information I need?
Have I considered all possible solutions?
Will my decision help me meet my goals?
Does it violate any of my values?
Have I considered all the consequences?
Can I live with the consequences?

24. Final Thoughts Be objective -- think critically Use your tools
Think both short-term and long-term
Check with others when decisions may affect them
Stay focused
Use your values and goals as a compass