Our NEW 4 month online coaching program for adults - available from February 2024!

DECISION MAKING REWIRED

To Rewire is to provide, connect or replace something. Rewiring decision-making is aimed to:

• create awareness to rethink how we approach decision making,

• connect the experiences of decisions made with the factors considered in making the decision

• understand how life influences my decisions

• manage my values, my personality, and my propensity for risk

• recognise the need for adaption and

• continuously develop and change throughout life (create versatility).

Further benefits include (as per previous Rewiring Participants):

• finding creative ways of proactively addressing ‘negative’ factors driving decision-making

• addressing procrastination through planning

• reintroducing previously enjoyed activities

• addressing personal issues that may derail an individual

• identify areas of concern that may predispose individuals to risk behaviours, such
  as complacency, etc.

• developing individual checklists to ensure that an individual do not ‘default’ and
  fall back on past actions, etc.

Whilst the rewiring journey is an individual journey, it indirectly impacts others, whether it is in the home environment, work environment, or in our day-to-day interactions.

It provides the building blocks for an individual to make better informed decisions. It stimulates vigilance, not only in terms of the immediate environment but also on an intrapersonal level.

DECISIONS

A decision is a choice an individual makes after thinking about several possibilities. It is a choice on how to behave, how to react and how to move forward in each situation.

Whether they realise it or not, people make decisions every day, both big and small. Life also constantly throws different scenarios at us, forcing us to decide based on a given situation.

There is no particular reason ‘why’ people make decisions because decision-making is something that is natural to us, similar to breathing. When we decide to do something, we are deciding to do so and when we decide not to do something, then that is also a decision. Decisions can be big and life changing, or it can also be small and insignificant.

But of these decisions that we do make, regardless of whether we do it consciously or not, how do we make them? What determines whether we can act in the one way or the other way?

People make decisions based on whether the results will benefit them or not. If they are both beneficial, people choose the alternative that is more beneficial. A common way that people determine which choices are beneficial and decide is with the use of the PACED method.

Most people, whether consciously or not, employ the PACED method (Problem, Alternatives, Criteria, Evaluate, Decision) whenever they make a decision. This method involves identifying the problem, generating potential solutions, establishing evaluation criteria, assessing the alternatives, and ultimately making a choice.

Incentives, or motivations to select a particular option, play a significant role in decision-making. When an alternative offers enticing incentives, it is perceived as more advantageous, increasing the likelihood of it being chosen.

The underlying reasons behind our decisions may not always be apparent. While some decisions are driven by basic survival needs, others stem from the pursuit of success. Ultimately, we make choices that align with our needs, perceived benefits, and desired outcomes.

Our worldview and beliefs also influence our decision-making process. Understanding our tendencies and decision-making patterns empowers us to shape and improve our choices.

DECISION-MAKING DRIVING FACTORS

The four behavioural factors that influence the decisions we make, are:

There are several important factors that influence decision making. Significant factors include past experiences, a variety of cognitive biases, an escalation of

• commitment and sunk outcomes, individual differences, including age and

• socioeconomic status, and a belief in personal relevance.

• our values our propensity personality for risk

• Values drive our actions and they motivate our goals. Our goals help us establish priorities in life, guide our decision-making, and affect our evaluation of our success and happiness in life. Our values are our beliefs about what is important or desirable.

• Personality makes us who we are. It influences nearly every aspect of our lives, including our choices.

• Propensity for risk plays a key role in our decision making process. It influences the way we make decisions, the factors we consider when making a decision and our analysis of the possible consequences of a decision.

• Dissonance arises after we make a decision, as we contemplate the choices we've made. We become aware of the alternatives we've rejected and the undesirable aspects of our chosen path. This awareness triggers a sense of unease and tension within us, a discomfort that stems from the realization that our decision may not have been the best one.

This dissonance is amplified when we recognize that the consequences of our decision extend beyond ourselves, potentially affecting a multitude of people. The weight of responsibility intensifies as we grasp the implications of our choice, the knowledge that we alone bear the burden of its outcomes.

While the initial three behavioral factors can be influenced before a decision is made, the fourth factor, responsibility, emerges after the fact. In most cases, we lack the opportunity to rectify our decision once it has been set in motion. Consequently, we must accept the consequences, bearing the weight of our choices.

THE REWIRING PROCESS

If you would like further information on our online program, either for yourself, your organisation or for your own client base, get in touch with us to have a chat.

Change is possible and we can prove it!