Encyclopedia of Leadership

HOW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL

“When people are provided with a common approach to decision making, they find

they can indeed work as a team.”

—Charles Kepner and Benjamin Tregoe, THE NEW RATIONAL MANAGER

Use this tool in a wide range of applications, from selecting the best person for a job to

selecting complex technical equipment. For example, for selecting a new team member, start

with the decision criteria, outlining skill requirements ranging from technical expertise to

interpersonal skills to other decision criteria such as availability. Distinguish between “musts”

and “wants.” Having done this, you can rate employees from other departments, external con-

tractors, and other job applicants against these decision criteria. Next, for those candidates

who rate the highest against the decision criteria, assess the limitations that accompany each

candidacy (e.g., training requirements, related staffing considerations). This process doesn’t

guarantee success, but it does help you minimize the risks associated with making challenging

decisions.

Use the worksheet provided to organize and present decisions in a logical, defensible way.

This not only helps minimize the risk and subjectivity in decision making; it also helps ensure

commitment from the key stakeholders in the decision.

WEB WORKSHEET

DECISION-MAKING WORKSHEET

SECTION 7 TOOLS FORPROBLEMSOLVING, DECISIONMAKING, ANDQUALITY 217

Brainstormed Criteria

criteria clarified and ranked

Selection criteria: Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

Results—desirable and undesirable

Decision Goal: