Module 3:Determining Your Direction

Direct Your Future

Objectives

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Describe different kinds of decision-making strategies.

• State the steps of a planful model of decision making.

• Apply the planful model to your personal career decision making.

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Definitions

• Decision – selection of one alternative rather than another.

• Alternative – different ways in which a problem may be solved, or a goal reached.

• Goal – an event, condition, or outcome that we set for some future date.

• Consequences – results, or outcomes, of making a decision.

• Valuing – a process of examining alternatives.

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Basic Principles

• The outcomes of some decisions are more important than others.

• When outcomes are important, use the Planful Decision-Making Model.

• Using the Planful Decision-Making Model does not assure the outcomes you want, but increases your probability.

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The Planful Decision-Making Model

Step 1:Identify the decision to be made.

Step 2:Consider characteristics of self.

Step 3:Identify alternatives.

Step 4:Collect information about each alternative.

Step 5:Put alternatives in priority order.

Step 6:Take action.

Step 7: Review the decision and possible outcomes.

Other Decision-Making Approaches• Painful – spending a lot of time and energy

finding alternatives and information, but not making a choice.

• Impulsive – jumping to a choice without finding alternatives and information.

• Compliant – making the choice that someone else wants you to make.

• Delaying – putting off making a choice.

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Homework for Next Session• Write a one-or two-page description of yourself

from three different perspectives or viewpoints:• How your parent(s)/guardians see you.• How your friends see you.• How your teachers see you.

• Using Activity 7: Connecting Life Roles, interview one of your parents or another adult about different life roles they play. You should complete the worksheet and bring it to the next session.

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