Decision Making Skills & Problem-Solving Skills

Decision Making Skills & Problem-Solving Skills Decisions are part of the process we use to solve problems.

How to make a tough decision - Full House Style! • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxRpGMeJPs8

Decision: a conscious or unconscious response to a problem or an issue • Personal priorities, goals, standards, values, needs, and wants will influence the decisions we make. • Routine decisions vs. complex decisions • The Decision Making Process: a set of logical steps

THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS • Identify the decision to be made • Gather and examine information • Identify possible alternatives/choices • Evaluate the consequences of each alternative (pro & con list) • Choose the best alternative and act on it • Evaluate the results • Positive consequences = satisfaction • Negative consequences = learn from mistakes • Always take responsibility for your decisions

APPLY: Reflection • Describe two decisions that you or your family has made recently (one that turned out well and one that turned out poorly). Explain why you believe each decision turned out as it did. • Lastly, summarize how you or your family could use the decision making process for an upcoming decision. • Include the six steps.

Management Skills

Management: wisely using means (resources) to achieve goals • Examples? • Time • Objects • Services • Abilities

MANAGEMENT SKILLS • Goal Setting/Prioritize • Specific goalsw/ time frame • Show accountability • Identify Resources • Aid in reaching goals, decision making, and problem solving • Examples? • Human, material, and community resources • Form a Plan • Get organized • Implement (Act) • Evaluate • Example?

Conflict-Resolution Skills An approach to settling conflicts/ disagreements.

Rate Your Conflict-Resolution skills… • http://bit.ly/VCuXVb

TYPES OF CONFLICT • Situational Conflict • Certain circumstances create a conflict • Can occur in all kinds of relationships and in any part of daily life • Can’t control the situation, but CAN control how to handle the situation • Personality Differences • Differences in personalities and habits • Power Struggles • Power: the ability to influence another person • Issues are important to both sides/To get others to agree to your terms • Common parent/child conflict (e.g., curfew) • Need for Control (the action of directing another person’s behavior • When power is the cause of the conflict, the desire for control gets in the way of a solution.

V.O.M.P. • V: VENT • Get it out/express • O: OWN • Take responsibility • M: MOCCASIN • Put yourself in other person’s shoe (see their perspective) • P: PLAN • Put a plan in place so conflict doesn’t happen again http://www.primarygoals.org/models/vomp/

RESOLVING CONFLICTS • Negotiate: to deal or bargain with another • EXAMPLE? • Compromise: giving in on some points of disagreement and having your way on others • Give & Take • Win-Win situation • EXAMPLE? • Mediator: a person who leads those in conflict to solutions without taking sides

AVOIDING CONFLICT • Don’t let others irritate you • Focus on the positive • Change the subject • Be an UPSTANDER • Do what you know is RIGHT! • Walk way • Remember, sometimes the only thing you can CONTROL is how you HANDLE the conflict.

APPLY • When Vince and his brother John bought a car together, they agreed on how to share the costs of upkeep and use of the car. Now John isn’t filling the gas tank as agreed and he takes the car when it’s not his turn. • Using class concepts on conflict resolution, what should Vince do?

Decision Making Skills & Problem-Solving Skills