INTRODUCTION

• Decision making is necessary and important for every organization as part of managerial process. 
• Decision making cannot be made by a body or unit alone. This is because decision making process is cumulative and consultative. The process bears its strengths and weaknesses which would give results and consequences in the overall development and prospects in the organization.
• The purpose of decision making is to lighten the way forward. However, making decision is not easy because it is complex and involves professional people of different genre such as all levels of managers.
• In schools, for example, decision making will be made by the school leader, assistant leaders, head of subjects and others. They are the right people to make decisions because they support the growth of the organization.
• Decision making involves effective communication tools. Effective communicative tools are important and need to be utilized in addition to the normal consultation process because these elements would give a large scale of implications on the organization’s prospects. 
• Besides effective communication tools, discussions and consultations are two main tools that also support and bring out decisions.
•  For example, to implement a new academic school program proposed by subject teachers must go through series of consultative process. 
• The success of implementing the program depends on the final success of the decisions made by the leaders or managers.

DEFINITION OF DECISION MAKING

• Decision can be defined as a purposely action chosen from a set of alternatives to achieve organization goals. Meanwhile, decision making is a continuous process of managing organization activities by a group of people in an organization (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary). 
• Decision is made to ensure that the organization activities are sustained and functioning. It can be regarded as a check and balance system to ensure that the organization is growing in the right directions.
• Decision making has no ending because it involves new problems to solve. It is a continuous and dynamic process. 

STEPS OF DECISION MAKING

Prachi Juneija, 2021 suggested that in a management setting, decision cannot be taken abruptly. It should follow the  steps as below:

1. Defining the problem
2. Gathering information and collecting data
3. Developing and weighing the options
4. Choosing best possible option
5. Plan and execute
6. Take follow up action

• After taking into considerations of the above decision making steps, the manager or leader of any organization will require to implement decision making through another series of process.

STEPS IN DECISION MAKING PROCESS

• Decision making process is not an easy task because it consumes a lot of time. However, the decision making results or consequences will be beneficial though a lot of time has been consumed.
• Prachi (2021) stated that decision making process requires thinking, time, efforts, resources, knowledge and experience. 
• He said that thinking process plays an important role in decision making process because it allows leaders or managers to judge each and every thing. 
• Making right decisions on the right time is good because it can solve many problems difficulties. 
• In order to take the right decisions and to avoid making mistakes, Prachi (2021) suggested the steps of decision making process which leaders or managers in any organization need to follow. 

The decision making process involves the following steps:

1. Curious Observation
2. Existence of Problem
3. Goals & Planning
4. Search, Explore & Gather the Evidence
5. Generate Creative & Logical Alternative Solutions
6. Evaluate the Evidence
7. Make the Educated Guess (Hypothesis)
8. Challenge the Hypothesis
9. Reach a Conclusion
10. Suspend Judgment
11. Take Action

• These steps will help leaders or managers to take proper decisions and will achieve beneficial discussion and solution results. 
• A good decision maker is advised to follow the above steps in order to solve either big or small problems. 

CONCLUSION

• Decision making is important and required in any organization. This is to ensure the growth development of the organization. Any issues or problems arise should be solved quickly and cannot allow it to be cumulative.
• Decision making process is not easy because it consumes a lot of time, energy and thinking. However, the results of decision making will be beneficial if leaders or managers of any organization follow the above mentioned decision making steps and process carefully and systematically.

Reference:

1.   What is Decision Making? - Prachi Juneja, 2021. New Delhi,  Management Study Guide https://www.managementstudyguide.com

2.   Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2018