First of all, we needed to better understand our basic assumptions about what constitutes an effective decision. We came up with the following:

• Equal consideration must be given to facts and feelings. Decision-making models which rely solely on rational, intellectual analysis fail to account for the large role played by feelings in motivation.
  
  
• An effective decision is ultimately consistent with a person's basic values and hopes; it should bring her closer to the dream or goal she has for her life.
  
  
• A thorough investigation of all the options should precede making a decision; information is gathered and analyzed to ensure that the options are clearly and accurately understood. Myths or false impressions are dispelled.
  
  
• Decisions are effective when they can be acted upon. Conversely, failure to follow through indicates that one or several important factors were not taken into account. Good decisions involve feasible, accessible action steps.
  
  
• Few people can follow through on a decision without support or encouragement. An effective decision recognizes this basic human fact; it involves actions that bring with it some degree of satisfaction and social acceptance.
  
  
• Decisions should be judged on the process used to make them and not their outcomes. While it is hoped that effective decisionmaking will be more likely to produce positive results, factors outside of our control can undermine even our best efforts. It is important to help participants make this distinction. Otherwise, they may blame themselves for negative outcomes which they could not anticipate. They may lose confidence in their ability to make decisions.

With these assumptions in mind, we began to examine our current approach. What follows is a discussion of the major problems we found and the strategies we developed in response.

Problem # 1 Too little time allowed for decisions
In the OFA program, and in many comparable group models, decision-making was explicitly the focus of only one or two sessions. The implication here is that decision-making is a discrete, concise process which can easily be accomplished within a two or three hour session. This is not only intimidating for participants but is an inaccurate reflection of the convoluted, lengthy process most of us use to make decisions. This is especially true for major life decisions like the ones that arise from participation in an OFA group.

However, when we reviewed the OFA program we realized that, in fact, many other sessions dealt with the decision-making task. Making these connections explicit to participants would, we felt, make the task easier and present a truer, more effective model of decision-making for participants to adopt.

Response: We decided that throughout the OFA program, facilitators would help to clarify the links between the content and the task of decision-making. For example, in Session 3 participants are encouraged to daydream about what they will be doing in four years and to identify new hats or roles they would like to assume. Their dreams then become clues to be considered as part of the decision-making process.

In Sessions 5-7 on Assertiveness Training, facilitators clarify the practical relation between being assertive and being able to change one's life. Each group generates a Bill of Rights which includes the right to make decisions for oneself and in one's own interest. Participants develop the assertive skills needed to research their options.

Session 9, The Ingredients of a Decision, presents a framework for cataloguing all the information needed to make an effective decision. During Sessions 9-14 information is gathered on personal interests and various relevant community resources including education, training, volunteer programs, etc. Participants are reminded throughout of the connection between this information and the decision they will be trying to make.

Session 14 and 15 builds participants confidence and helps the group explicitly identify their decision-making strengths. Finally, Session 16 presents a process for assessing the information, making and verifying a decision.