The Decision Making Process

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

Lieutenants’ Interactive Forum for Education (LIFE) Class

The Decision Making Process

1. WELCOME
   1. Overview and purpose of the LIFE Class.
      1. Complete all required paperwork.
          
2. STUDENT INTRODUCTIONS
   1. Students introduce each other to build a safe environment for honest discussion during the class.
      1. Students will provide the following information about themselves: name, years of experience, career, challenges regarding decision making, and what is expected from the course.
      2. Group exercise.
          
3. BELIEFS-BEHAVIORS-RESULTS
   1. Discussion about what shapes human motivation.
      1. Students will discuss how beliefs and behaviors shape their actions.
      2. Students will discuss what happens when beliefs and behaviors fail to meet their needs.
      3. Break-out groups utilized.
          
4. VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
   1. Students identify their principles and values.
      1. Students will discuss how principles and values affect their decision-making processes.
      2. Facilitator led discussion.
   2. Discussion about principles and values.
      1. Students will indentify the source of their principles and values (society, culture, organization, and personal).
      2. Students will create a list of values and principles for law enforcement.
      3. Break-out groups utilized.
          
5. ALTERNATIVE LIFE CENTERS
   1. Students identify what is of value to them in their lives and how those values affect their decision making.
      1. Students discuss how decision making can be affected by important aspects of their lives (family, faith, money, work, etc.).
      2. Results places on easle.
   2. Discussion demonstrates that principles should be used to make decisions.
      1. Students and facilitators discuss how decisions should be made using principles that the class has identified.
      2. The use of principles for decision-making leads to more predictable outcomes in the student’s lives.
      3. Facilitator lead discussion.
          
          
          
          
6. ETHICAL DILEMMAS/STIMULUS RESPONSE MODEL
   1. Discussion about right versus right and right versus wrong dilemmas.
      1. Students discuss the consequences of making decisions when values are in conflict.
      2. Facilitator led discussion.
   2. Discuss the difference between proactive decision making and reactive decision making.
      1. Proactive decision makers are more independent and self-reliant.  They attempt to direct their future.
      2. Reactive decision makers are dependent on their environments and thus have less influence on their future.
      3. Facilitator led discussion.
          
7. BEHAVIORAL RECIPROCITY/SELF-TALK
   1. Discussion about how emotions and thought shape our behavior
      1. Students discuss the consequences of emotion based behavior.
      2. Facilitator led discussion.
   2. Discussion about how Self-Talk influences how we act and respond to our environment.
      1. Students discuss the origins Self-Talk and its effect on their decisions. 
      2. Facilitator led discussion.
          
8. FOUR MODES OF DECISION-MAKING/EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING
   1. Four levels of decision making processes are discussed:  Unconscious, Subconscious, Conscious, and Principle-Based.
      1. Students are placed into groups and will present their views on the four levels of decision making.
      2. Break-out groups utilized.
   2. Four articles are discussed by four small groups of students.  Each group will identify what concepts are involved in effective decision-making.
      1. Each group of students will present their concepts of effective decision making based upon the articles read.
      2. Break-out groups utilized.
          
9. BRAD FISHER VIDEO
   1. Students discuss how LAPD Officer Brad Fisher made decisions which led to him committing felony crimes while on-duty.
      1. Students watch a video about Brad Fisher committing crimes on duty.
      2. Students are places into groups and discuss what motivated Fisher.
      3. Students present their conclusions about how Fisher made the decisions which let him to commit crimes on duty.
      4. Break-out groups utilized.
          
          
          
          
          
10. DECISION-MAKING MODEL
    1. Students create a decision-making model which should be used when making decisions.
       1. Utilizing the course content and concepts presented during the class, students will develop a model for decision making.
       2. Break-out groups utilized.
           
11. LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT HOPE/DISCUSSION
    1. Students discuss how leadership is based upon the decisions they make.
       1. Contemporary and historical examples of individuals who prepared themselves to excel in their fields are discussed.
       2. Group discussion.
    2. Final discussion about the class’ concepts.
       1. Students are asked to identify the key concepts of the course.
       2. Group discussion.