Sunday, March 3, 2013

A632.7.4RB Collabortaive Decision Making_Reyes,Cassandra


Reflect on the role of collaboration and getting to resolution in the process of decision-making. Rarely, if ever, do our decisions affect only ourselves. Consider the importance of getting other stakeholders involved; how can they help you make a better decision for all? Detail a specific situation where you are faced with the decision, describe the process you went through and the outcome you were seeking. Identify 5 ways stakeholder involvement can help you make better decisions. Did you achieve your objective? Looking back at the decision you made and its consequence was there anyone else that would have added value to the process? Identify 3 ways you may use this learning experience to make better decisions in the future?


“You changed your mind again?” I asked my husband. “Every time we take two steps forward, I feel like we were taking five steps back” I said with frustration. This was yet another conversation that we were having about purchasing out home. We had finally agreed on buying a home in the area of Port Orange area and after looking in the Deltona area my husband had found what he thought could be the house of our dreams. “It’s beautiful hun. Just think of all the land we could own!” I was instantly frustrated by the whole experience and thought to myself that once we moved, I would never want to move again. The process was debilitating and it was taking everything in me not to lose it.

            My husband and I were originally searching for homes ourselves with the help of a realtor and considering we weren’t getting anywhere we thought it would be best to include a third party who was better informed with the process of buying a home and a professional in today’s market. We had already planned a meeting with our realtor Samantha to view homes in Port Orange when my husband found the home in Deltona. “I need house closure” he stated with a smile on his face. Let’s just go see it so I can hate it. I agreed to his request with anticipation and moved forward with the plan of driving to Deltona to hate this so called dream home.

            The minute we got to Deltona, I could see the anticipation on my husband’s face. He was excited to see the house but nervous at the same time as he knew what that would mean if he really did end up loving it. We drove up to the empty home and were both amazed. The house really was beautiful. It was located on 5 acres of land with no houses near it and a large pool in the back. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside it appeared and we were both clueless as to what to do next.

            “I say we wait until we meet with Samantha and see what we find in the area where the good schools are located. I think that’s important for Isabella. She needs a good school and a good home in a good location. I want her to be around friends and family. I think it’s important for all of us.” My husband looked at me and said “You’re right. Let’s just wait and see what Samantha shows us.” He seemed so disappointed I had hoped and prayed that Samantha had something great for us to view to get our minds off that house.

            Samantha showed us three homes, all of which were beautiful in their own way; however the fourth home was amazing. The minute we drove the community we knew this was where we wanted to live. The community was gated and the landscaping was amazing, but even better, it was 1 mile away from a blue ribbon school in the area. Samantha had nailed the type of home and location we were looking for. It was great to see how she had taken each of our likes and dislikes and formed a consensus on what she felt would be best for our family. We were so happy to have gotten her involved in our job hunting process as she had put all of our desires and needs into perspective. Without her help, my husband and I would have done the house dance for what felt like years to come.

            Using Samantha as a realtor was the best decision we could have made. She not only helped my husband and I better communicate but offered us the knowledge we needed on the current market and the opportunities that were available to us. As first time home buyers we were so excited to begin the process of getting our home that we were not actively listening to one another. Working with Samantha made us sit down and listen to each other’s wants and needs in a home and the steps we could take in further realizing the necessities of one another’s desires. She helped us to create a vision that included both dreams for both me and my husband’s tastes, but even more importantly provided suggestions and ideas as to what we should expect to include for our daughters future as well. Samantha helped us to create a circle of partnership and instead of fighting one another, my husband and I were finally on the same page as to what was needed for our family’s future. Samantha’s inclusion in our decision making and our trust in her judgment and professional expertise allowed for us to effectively move through the circle of resolution and make decisions that would benefit for us in the long run instead of meeting our shot term wishes.

            At the end of it all we decided that we had finally reached a consensus on what we were both looking for and in turn achieved our objective. We decided to make a bid on the home and are currently awaiting the results of the owners answer. We are hoping that we are able to get the home we love however we aren’t putting all of our eggs into one basket. We have another date with Samantha to view a few more homes that we might like just in case we are unable to get the current home we fell in love with. The best part about it all is that even if we don’t get this home, we have the tools necessary to move forward in choosing a new home as we now know the direction we would both like to go and the end result we both desire. Without the assistance of Samantha and her expertise, I do not believe that we would be in such a good place. Looking back it would have been nice to have the opinions of some friends and family, however during the process we also realized that the more opinions we had, the more difficult it became to make a decision and once we opened the door for other’s opinions, it became difficult to close that door again leaving us frustrated and spent.

            In order to make better decision in the future this experience has taught me the power of listening, communicating and how to move successfully through the resolution process. My husband and I have learned to listen more closely to one another, communicate our wants and needs and that of our family and our future and how to come to a resolution should we face another tough conflict in which it is absolutely necessary that we agree upon the final result. Without this experience and the inclusion of Samantha, I truly believe that it would have taken much more time to come to an agreement on the future of our family or we would have both made a decision that we were not truly happy with.

Cassandra R.

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