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.
