HOW TO USE THIS SITE

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

This site will help you to find out more about how to make wise decisions, and provide guidance to how to follow a decision-making procedure called PROGRESS.

To find out about PROGRESS we suggest that you first visit the introduction. After this you might like to visit the overview to gain a bird’s eye view of the procedure.

What you do next depends upon your needs and desires. If you have a decision-making problem that you need help with we have produced three paths you can follow: these guides are called full, medium and quick. The quick guide can be done in 15-30 minutes, the medium guide in 1 –2 hours, and the full guide from 2 hours up. Even if you wish to follow the full guide we recommend that you start with the quick guide to familiarise yourself with the method. Alternatively you could go to the index to see all the exercises in the full guide and see which have been selected for the medium guide. Or you could follow through how we have analysed John’s Case and see if you agree with us.

If you are facing either a personal or organisation problem and would like to find out about how we can help you, either on-line or by meeting us for a personal consultation go to contact us. Do this as well if you would like to find out about training for yourself or your organisation.

You can also find out about courses and events, or let us know of any courses and events you would like to advertise on this site. Links will take you to other sites connected to decision-making and related topics while Theory provides reviews of books and articles and background to PROGRESS.

If you click on UsingThisSite you will be returned to this opening page.

INTRODUCTION to PROGRESS

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Decisions are made wisely only if certain conditions are fulfilled; without these you are unlikely, except through good fortune, to make a wise decision. Often people talk about a contrast between making decisions based on reason and decisions based on feeling or intuition. In fact good decisions are grounded in both reason and emotion – after all you wouldn’t want your decision to have such major logical holes in it that it will let you down later, nor would you want your decision to be something that you don’t feel is right as you’re feelings may well be a good guide to important aspects of the process. Furthermore if you don’t produce a congruence between your reason and emotions you will be uncertain about following your reason as it will feel wrong, and you will worry that if you just follow your feelings you might be following an irrational course of action. What you need to do is integrate reason and emotion. PROGRESS is built to allow you to do this.

Of course following a wise decision-making procedure doesn’t guarantee us a successful outcome, as there may be aspects of the situation that we are unable to determine, or events may take a turn that we cannot predict, but by following such a procedure we increase the likelihood that the outcome will be successful.

Please feel free to use these pages to help yourself make wiser decisions. Although there are different stages in this process, and a logical order to these stages, you might well find that at certain times in your decision-making process, as you bring new things to light, you will need to iterate back through earlier stages in the process. To make a wise decision you will need to do all of the stages (understand the situation and problem, determine what matters, generate and evaluate options, and implement the solution) but different problems will require different emphases and questions within these stages so be flexible in how you work. For instance we offer many different questions and activities to do in each stage, but you might need to do only one or two. One of the easiest ways to understand and follow what is needed is to see an example of wise decision-making. Try following John’s case, as he works out what he should do with his ill mother. If you would like more help, either on-line or in person, to work through a problem that you or your organization face, or if you would like to organize training for you or your organization, please contact us.

If you are trying to solve a problem your first task, before doing anything else, is to make an initial judgment about the complexity and importance of your problem and whether this is a problem you should be trying to solve by yourself or even at all. The more complex and important the problem the more time you can spend on it. If the problem is not for you alone to solve try to get others engaged in helping. If the problem is not for you to deal with leave it to others. If you’re short of time try the quick guide to quick decision-making.

OVERVIEW of PROGRESS

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

1. Understand the situation and problem.

The problem, and the situation that the problem is located in, are understood accurately, fair-mindedly and fully. Without this understanding any attempt to make a decision is likely to be flawed through making errors about what the situation and problem really are.

2. Determine What Matters.

Think as widely as possible about what values you want to bring about. When you have generated potential values assess which ones matter most weightily. Unless you have thought carefully about what you want to achieve you’re unlikely to achieve it !

3. Generate and Evaluate Options.

Creatively generate options. We easily get stuck in ruts of thinking so you need to be imaginative. Once you have generated a range of options you should select the option that, while based upon the reality of the situation, best captures what you have determined weightily matters. Without both generating and evaluating options you’re unlikely to come up with your best solution.

4. Check your Solution, Work out how to Implement and Monitor it, and Commit Yourself to it.

Once you have made your selection of the best option you need to make a final check on it, and work out how to implement and monitor it. Finally you need to commit yourself to carrying it out. The best solution, if not carried through is not going to be much help to you.

Introduction Overview Full Guide(Method) Full Guide(Index) Quick Guide John’s Case Contact Us How to use this Site

QUICK GUIDE TO QUICK DECISION-MAKING

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

There are four stages to follow when making a wise decision – even a quick one. You need to (i), understand the situation and problem (ii), determine what matters (iii), generate and evaluate options, and (iv), implement your solution.

If you are very limited for time, or your problem is not so sufficiently serious or difficult, that it requires much thought, here’s a quick way to do these stages. Remember that making decisions quickly and rigorously is more likely to produce a good solution than simply making them quickly, but less likely to produce a good solution than taking more time while doing it rigorously.

Stage 1: Understand the Situation and Problem.

More on stage 1: full version

1. Check you understand the situation. Are there any important facts you need to

find out, are you making any doubtful assumptions, have you got an unbiased view ?

2.Make sure you have a clear understanding of what the problem is that you

want to make a decision about – write down a clear and precise statement

of your problem.

More on stage 1: full version

Stage 2: Determine what Matters.

More on stage 2: full version

1.Make a list of everything that you can think of that matters – what values

should the solution have in it ? What do you want to bring about ?

Try not to miss anything important by making a list of all the parties who are involved in some way or other and make sure you consider potential benefits and burdens to them all.

2.Order this list in terms of how important you think the values are. Put the

values in order if you feel you can, or failing that in categories such as

vital, very weighty, and less weighty.

More on stage 2: full version

Stage 3: Generate and Assess Options.

More on stage 3: full version

1.Generate options. List possible options. After you have come up with the

obvious ones try brainstorming and/or look at your list of what matters and try to devise options that can satisfy the values you identified as vital and very weighty.

2.Assessing Options.

Create a table like this:

	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3	…..
Value 1 (vital)
Value 2 (more weighty)
Value 3 (more weighty)
Value 4 (less weighty)
….

Along the top write your different options and down the first column write the values you want to realize. Put the vital values at the top of the column, the most weighty in the middle and the least weighty at the bottom.

In each cell write whether the option satisfies the value.

Select the option which allows you to satisfy as many of the most weighty values as possible. If different options all satisfy what is most weighty see which options best satisfy less weighty values.

More on stage 3: full version

Stage 4: Implement Your Solution.

More on stage 4: full version

Congratulations! If you have followed the above stages you can have increased confidence in your decision. Start implementing your wise solution and don’t forget to monitor how its going and revise it if needed.

More on stage 4: full version

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

MEDIUM GUIDE

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

We have selected for the medium guide exercises that we think are most likely to help with most problems. Included in this are the four stages necessary for any wise decision-making: you need to (i), understand the situation and problem (ii), determine what matters (iii), generate and evaluate options, and (iv), implement your solution. You should be aware that the exercises we have selected might not be the ones that are most appropriate for your problem, so you will want to use your judgment. As you become more familiar with the full guide you will learn to select your own path through it and even devise your own exercises suitable to the problem you are facing. If you wish to use the medium guide you can either go to the Index to get an overview of what is recommended, scroll through the full guide looking at sections marked with an asterix (*), or follow the hyperlinked path through the full guide by clicking on mpath to go to the next item.

As you work through the stages we have provided several tools to help you. At the beginning of each stage and step there is a description of the goal that the stage and step is designed to achieve. Try to keep both this particular goal, and how this goal fits into the procedure, in mind. You can click back to either the overview or the quick guide to remind yourself of what you are aiming at overall, or go to index for a complete list of what is in the full version. Within each stage there are a series of exercises to help you to achieve the goals of each stage. To help you with these exercises you can click on John’s Case which provides a modeled use of the exercise or you can click on Help (not yet on-line) which provides a guide to the exercise. If you are more theoretically minded you can click on Theory (not yet on-line) which has an explanation of the theory behind the exercise. Or you can contact us for more help.

Start the hyperlinked path now: mpath

FULL GUIDE

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

As you work through the stages we have provided several tools to help you. At the beginning of each stage and step there is a description of the goal that the stage and step is designed to achieve. Try to keep both this particular goal, and how this goal fits into the procedure, in mind. You can click back to either the overview or the quick guide to remind yourself of what you are aiming at overall, or go to index for a complete list of what is in the full version. Within each stage there are a series of exercises to help you to achieve the goals of each stage. To help you with these exercises you can click on John’s Case which provides a modeled use of the exercise or you can click on Help (not yet on-line) which provides a guide to the exercise. If you are more theoretically minded you can click on Theory (not yet on-line) which has an explanation of the theory behind the exercise. Or you can contact us for more help.

This is a guide, not a guranteed solution to every problem. We believe that there are four stages necessary for any wise decision-making: you need to (i), understand the situation and problem (ii), determine what matters (iii), generate and evaluate options, and (iv), implement your solution. How much time you spend on each stage, and which exercises from each stage you do, will depend upon the kind of problem that you are facing so you will want to use your judgment. As you become more familiar with the full guide you will learn to select your own path through it and even devise your own exercises suitable to the problem you are facing. If you see an asterix (*) next to a piece of text or an exercise this indicates that it is recommended as part of the medium guide. These are selected as being relevant to most problems.

Jump to: Stage 1: Situation Stage 2: What Matters Stage 3: Options Stage 4: Solution

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Goal: Obtain an accurate, fair-minded and full description of the situation and problem. Become aware of what your feelings are telling you about the situation and problem. If you don’t understand what situation you’re in and what the problem is you’re unlikely to come up with a good solution to it !

Try using these questions and exercises to help you to get a good grasp on the situation and problem. Experience has shown us that taking time at this first stage really pays dividends so don’t be tempted to rush to determining what matters, or evaluating options too quickly.

Index to Stage 1 mpath Quick Guide to Stage 1

Jump to: Stage 1: Situation Stage 2: What Matters Stage 3: Options Stage 4: Solution

Step 1.1 YOUR INITIAL ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND PROBLEM *

What is the situation and the problem that you believe you are facing? The exercises in this section are designed to help you gain an initial understanding of what the situation and problem you are facing are like and to find out what your feelings about facing this problem are. As you move through the process, and you bring new things to light, you should be prepared to modify your analysis.

mpath

Exercise: Analyse the Situation and Problem *

1. Write down the most important aspects of the situation you are facing as you now see it (do this as fully as you think the problem deserves. If the problem is very important you will want to spend longer thinking about it).

2. Underneath this write down, as fully and precisely as possible, what you currently think the problem is and why it is a problem.

3. Finally write down your initial ideas about what options you have for dealing with this problem and what advantages and disadvantages you think these options have.

John’s Case mpath

Exercise: Assess the Certainty of your Analysis

You will be more certain and less certain about different parts of your analysis of the situation and problem. Go through your description of the situation and problem and think about whether you are more or less certain about the various claims that you have made. After different parts of your analysis, you could put (+ +) (+) (-) and (- -) to record your degree of certainty. Be aware that we can be misled about even those things we feel most certain about. Make a note of the parts of your analysis that you might wish to revise later.

John’s Case

Be prepared to use and re-assess what you think about the situation and the problem as you work through the method. You might wish to keep a list of questions that you have raised as you work through the method. These questions could be about facts that you don’t have but would like to know, about doubts you have over parts of your analysis, or about important assumptions that you think you are making. If these questions seem important try to answer them as you continue.

What emotions are you experiencing when you think about this problem and situation ?

Exercise: Analyse and Record your Emotions *

1. Make four columns: above the first column write down “emotion”; above the second column write down “strength (0 –100)”; above the third column write down “about what”; and above the fourth column write down “category”. In the category box write “own decision-making”, “situation/problem”, “options” and “solution”

EMOTION	STRENGTH (0 – 100)	ABOUT WHAT	CATEGORY (OWN DECISION-MAKING, SITUATION/PROBLEM OPTIONS SOLUTION)

2. In the emotion column write down all the emotions you are feeling. Try to work out what these are by thinking about all the different people involved in the situation and what you feel about them, what you feel about your role in the situation, what you feel about your capacity to deal with the problem, what you feel about any options you have in mind, and what you feel about any potential solution. If you wish you can read through your description of the problem and situation to see if these trigger any other emotions.

3. Make an assessment of how strongly you are feeling each emotion and write this down in the strength column (100 if you feel the emotion very, very strongly down to 0 if you don’t feel the emotion at all).

4. Now try to determine what you are feeling this emotion about (if you are angry what are you angry at, if you are sad what are you sad about, if you are elated what are you elated about etc) and write this down in the “about what” column.

5. There are four categories that your emotions might fall into. First, you might have feelings about trying to make the decision (are you anxious about whether you can bring about your decision, or proud of your decisiveness for instance). Second, you might have feelings about others in the situation or problem (are you angry at someone or protective towards someone for instance). Third, you might have feelings about a particular option (you might be anxious that it is too risky, or confident that it captures something important for instance). Finally your might have feelings about what you would like to bring about, what you think the solution to the problem should achieve (are you hopeful that this decision will lead to a better life for you, or concerned that someone’s rights need to be defended for instance). Write in the fourth column either “about own decision-making”, “about the situation/problem”, “about the options” or “about the outcome”.

John’s Case mpath

Be prepared to both use and reassess these emotions as you work through the method.

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Step 1.2 REFINE AND EXPAND YOUR ANALYSIS OF, AND FEELINGS ABOUT, THE SITUATION AND PROBLEM *

You need to start now on assessing your initial analysis. As you do this strive to be accurate, fair-minded and get a full grasp of the situation and problem.

mpath

Step 1.2.1 Strive for Accuracy *

Strive to check that you are understanding the situation accurately - if you are making mistakes about what the situation is really like you are unlikely to make a wise decision. The exercise below is designed to help you to get an accurate assessment of what you have already analysed.

Exercise: Be your own Sympathetic Critic (or get a friend/colleague to help) *

1. Reread your description of the situation you are facing and pretend you are someone who is sympathetic to you but also challenging. What would this person say to challenge whether you understand the situation accurately?

2. Try to objectively assess whether you have good reasons for thinking the situation and problem are as you have described them.

3. If you find that you have particularly strong feelings about interpreting something one way ask yourself why you feel this so strongly.

4. Look out for any assumptions you have made and ask yourself whether these assumptions are acceptable.

5. Reread your description of the situation and problem and see if there are any ambiguous or important terms or phrases that could be ‘unpacked’ to make the situation and problem clearer. Rewrite these terms and phrases ‘unpacking’ them.

John’s Case mpath

Step 1.2.2: Strive for Fair-Mindedness: *

As well as making factual mistakes about what a situation is like we tend to give the situation a particular emotional colour. These emotional colours act as prejudgements about the situation and slant how we judge it. Whenever we think about a situation and problem some things stand out in our minds as more important than others. Now what stands out as important may stand out because it is important or it may simply be something that has made a vivid impression on us. Try to be fair-minded in interpreting the situation. The following two exercises are designed to help you with this:

mpath

Exercise: Be an Un-Spin Doctor: Spot and Deal with Loaded Words and Phrases *

Look through your description of the problem and look out for any loaded or emotive words or phrases. Either replace these loaded or emotional words and phrases with more objective alternatives, or if this seems impossible be aware of the loaded and emotive way that you are describing the situation and problem. A friend or colleague may be better at spotting how you have emotionally coloured the situation and problem.

John’s Case mpath

Exercise: Become Aware of What Seems Important to You and Test its Importance.

Don’t look through the description of the situation and problem but ask yourself what comes into your mind when you think about the situation and problem. Write this down. Now ask yourself why this comes into your mind and whether this is really what is most important. Think what other parties in the situation might think is most important. Also try asking friends and colleagues what they find most important about the situation and see whether you agree or disagree.

John’s Case

Step 1.2.3. Strive to get a Full Understanding *

As well as being accurate and fair-minded in understanding the situation it is also worth trying to get as full an understanding of the situation as possible (depending of course on how serious the situation is and how much time you have). The next two exercises should help you with this; the first encourages you to seek new information through asking questions and the second to adopt the perspectives of others.

mpath

Exercise: Be an Ace Investigative Journalist *

Take a fresh look at the situation and problem and ask yourself whether there are more facts you need to uncover. Imagine yourself to be an ace investigative journalist who doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned. Ask who, what, where, why, when and how questions and try to answer them. If possible get help from a friend or colleague to frame the questions. Write down your answers to the questions and keep a record of any important questions that are left outstanding.

John’s Case mpath

Exercise: Ask Others What They Think (or Imagine What They Might Say)

Make a list of all the people involved in the situation. If they are available, and it is appropriate, describe to them your understanding of the situation and problem and ask them to comment on whether they think you have left out anything of importance. If you cannot ask them, imagine what they might say if you were to ask them. Also ask people outside the situation what they think (or imagine what they would say if you were to ask them).

John’s Case

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theor

Step 1.3 REASSESS YOUR INITIAL ANALYSIS OF, AND EMOTIONS ABOUT, THE SITUATION AND PROBLEM. *

If you have taken your time in the first stage, and done the exercises carefully with an open-mind you might well find you want to revise your analysis of, and feelings about, the situation and problem. Now is the time to review what you have done so far.

mpath

Exercise: Reassess your Analysis of the Situation and Problem *

Either modify your previous account, or write down your analysis of the situation you now believe you are faced with. Write out, in detail and precisely, what the problem is that you now believe you are facing. Record any outstanding questions that you think need answering.

John’s Case mpath

Exercise: Reassess Your Emotions *

Review the list of emotions from the beginning of stage 1 like this:

1. Are there emotions on that list that you no longer feel; if so cross them off.

2. Are there emotions that you now recognize yourself as feeling that are not on your list; if so add them.

3. Review what the emotions are directed at; if this has changed change this.

4. Add two new columns and over the first column write “appropriate response”, and over the second new column write “appropriate action”.

5. In the “appropriate response” column write down whether you now think the emotion is an appropriate response to your own decision-making, to the situation/problem, to the options, or to the possible outcome.

6. In the “appropriate action” column write down what you think the appropriate action to take in response to this emotion is, bearing in mind whether it is appropriate and what the emotion is about (remember that this might be no action, or some action not directly connected to the problem you are trying to deal with now).

This is what your table should now look like:

EMOTION	STRENGTH (0 – 100)	ABOUT WHAT	CATEGORY (OWN DECISION-MAKING, SITUATION/PROBLEM OPTIONS SOLUTION)	APPROPRIATE RESPONSE	APPROPRIATE ACTION

John’s Case mpath

Note that you will want to keep an open mind about your analysis of the situation so you might well want to return to stage 1 at later points in your decision-making as you uncover new material about the situation and problem and as your feelings develop.

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Goal: While stage 1 was about gaining an accurate assessment of the situation and the problem this stage is about deciding what values should be satisfied by the solution.

There are two steps to this. The first step is a wide, creative and open search to generate candidate values. The second step is determining which of these values most weightily matter.

Index to Stage 2 mpath Quick Guide to Stage 2

Jump to: Stage 1: Situation Stage 2: What Matters Stage 3: Options Stage 4: Solution

Step 2.1 GENERATE CANDIDATE VALUES. *

The following exercise consists of a series of questions designed to allow you to analyse what values might play a role in a wise solution. Use these questions as a way of generating possible ideas. At this point do not assess these values for their importance; concentrate only on their generation. Be open-minded.

mpath

Exercise: Generate candidate values *

Write down all the parties involved in the situation and then make a list of candidate values by answering some, or all, of the following questions:

i) What strikes you as mattering? What are your initial thoughts and feelings about what matters?

ii) What do your emotional responses to the situation and problem, analyzed in stage 1, suggest about what matters? Look back to the table listing your emotions and use these to generate ideas about what matters.

iii) Do those involved have any important rights, duties, or responsibilities? Think about this for all the parties involved. Are there any other parties, you haven’t yet noticed, who might have important rights, duties, or responsibilities?

iv) Do those involved have any important benefits at stake such as physical, social, emotional or financial goods? Think about this for all the parties involved. Are there any other parties, you haven’t yet noticed, who might have important benefits at stake?

v) Do the parties have any preferences? What do you think the parties themselves would

prefer?

vi) Do those involved have any important possible burdens such as physical or emotional pain, or loss of financial or emotional goods? Are there any other parties, you haven’t yet noticed, who might have important burdens at stake?

vii) What might the parties involved (and people who care about them) say about what matters?

viii) What would impartial, unbiased, observers say matters?

ix) What do you think someone that you look up to might say matters ?

x) Are there any important moral principles, such as fairness, at stake?

xi) What, if anything, does the law, codes of ethics and best practice say should be done?

xii) Imagine you have the power to put an ideal solution into place (ignore practical problems for now). What would it be? Why would this be a good solution - what are the values that are fulfilled if it is carried out?

xiii) What do you think someone you look up to would do in this situation? What does this

solution suggest about what matters?

xiv) What might you say mattered looking back on the case in 5 years? At the end of your life?

John’s Case mpath

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Step 2.2 ASSESS CANDIDATE VALUES. *

From step 2.1 you have produced a list of candidate, or potential, values. This will probably be quite a long list (you might like to compare this complete list to what you generated through the first question which asked for what initially struck you as important) but you will not want to treat all of theses candidate values equally. What you need to do now is to determine which of these candidate values are most weighty. Determining which values are most weighty is a tricky part of the procedure. Below are some exercises to help you do this.

The first thing to do is to make sure you haven’t got some values down more than once in different guises.

mpath

Exercise: Sort out the Values at Stake:

Go through the list of candidate values and eliminate any that are repeated so that you only have one of each candidate value left.

John’s Case

Now you have sorted out your list of candidate values you could use any of the following three exercises to determine which ones you think are most weighty. What you are seeking to do is determine what matters the most. You should do the third exercise; look also at the other two and do them if you think they will help you.

Exercise: Determine Weighty Values (1): Examine Reasons

Give reasons for why you think some things are more weighty than others. If you have a friend or colleague try talking this through with them. See how strong you think you’re reasons are. Do your reasons incline you more to some values than others. Keep a record of those values that you judge most weighty and why. Put them in a list with the most weighty at the top and write next to them why you judged them weighty.

John’s Case

Exercise: Determine Weighty Values (2) – Examine Emotions

1. Go back to the emotions you analysed at stage 1 and ask whether these suggest some values are more weighty than others – don’t forget to pay attention to the columns that ask you how strongly you feel this emotion, whether this emotion is appropriate and what action is appropriate to the emotion (you want the emotions to help you, not mislead you).

2. Vividly imagine carrying out any options that you have thought about so far (or even better role play them) and write down what you feel about carrying out this option.

3. Keep a record of the emotions that you used and the values that these emotions suggested. Put the values in a list, with those that are most weighty at the top, and write next to them the relevant emotion.

John’s Case

Exercise: Determine Weighty Values (3) - Eliminate and Weigh *

1. Look at the list of values and ask if each one is acceptable (ask yourself “does this matter at all?”); cross off any that are unacceptable as values and put a question mark by any that you are not sure about.

2. Of the remaining what matters ask if each one is relevant to this problem; cross off any that are not relevant and put a question mark by any that you are not sure about.

3. Of the remaining what matters ask if each one is important in this problem; if it is trivial cross it off.

4. Bearing in mind your assessments of acceptability, relevance and importance (and the conclusions from the previous two exercises if you did them) try now to put the remaining what matters in order of weightiness. If you think any of them are vital to any solution put these at the top of your list and write vital next to them. Below this put values that are very weighty and below this values that are less weighty.

You should have a list something like this:

VALUE	WEIGHT
Value 1	Vital
Value 2	Vital
Value 3	Very weighty
Value 4	Very weighty
Value 5	Medium weighty
Value 6	Less weighty
Value 7	Less weighty

John’s Case mpath

If determining what weightily matters has changed your analysis of the situation and/or problem iterate to an earlier stage. You might anyway wish to review your analysis of the situation and problem and your feelings about the situation and problem – this is something well worth repeating as you progress.

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Stage 3: GENERATE AND EVALUATE OPTIONS *

Goal: Before you decide what option is the best one you need to have a variety of options to choose from. So first creatively generate options. Once you have a variety of options you can evaluate these options. Seek win-win options, rather than compromise or polarisation, by capturing as much of what weightily matters as possible.

Index to Stage 3 mpath Quick Guide to Stage 3

Jump to: Stage 1: Situation Stage 2: What Matters Stage 3: Options Stage 4: Solution

Step 3.1 GENERATE POTENTIAL OPTIONS *

You can use either or both of these exercises below to generate potential options. Separate the generation of options from the evaluation. Try to generate as wide a variety of options as possible before moving on to evaluate these options in the next step. Of course you can also ask for creative input from friends and colleagues.

mpath

Exercise: Brainstorm

Generate options through brainstorming

John’s Case

Exercise: Use Your Analysis of What Matters as a Guide *

Look at the values that you identified as weighty in Stage 2.2. Think of options that might satisfy all, or as many, of these values as possible.

John’s Case mpath

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Step 3.2 EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OPTIONS TO FIND A BEST OPTION *

By now you should have an accurate, fair-minded and full understanding of the situation and a precise statement of the problem. You have also generated and assessed a list of values. If you are not happy that you have achieved this iterate to a previous stage. Your generation of options might have revealed more values that you had missed in your previous analysis so test for this with the following exercise:

mpath

Exercise: What do the Options Reveal about What Matters?

1. Ask yourself what sort of person would select this option (e.g. a good person, an uncaring person, a dutiful person, a stupid person). What does this analysis reveal about what matters?

2. Thought experiment: Imagine yourself carrying out this option (or even better role play

carrying it out) and ask yourself: "what do you think matters about the situation you would find yourself in if the option was carried out?” Make sure you think of both good and bad things.

John’s Case

If this exercise reveals additional values iterate back to Stage 2 to weigh these values. Also iterate back to previous stages if you are uncertain about your understanding of the situation or the problem. You might also want to think about whether there are other potential options that might satisfy any new values you have discovered. If you are satisfied you now need to select the best option. In selecting the best option strive to be win-win and avoid needless compromise and polarization. Here’s how to do this:

Exercise: Select the Best Option *

For each option ask the following questions:

1. Does this option really help to solve this problem? Check this against the formulation of the problem – if it doesn’t seem to help solve this problem then:

i) ask whether you have formulated the problem well, and reformulate if needed (if you do this you will might need to iterate to earlier stages in the method to check about your new understanding of the problem and what matters for the new problem)

ii) try to adapt the option so that it does satisfy the problem

iii) failing i) and ii) eliminate the option.

2. Is this option practicable? Check this against your understanding of the situation.

i) ask if there are things you need to find out to see if the option is practicable. If so try to find them out.

ii) If it doesn’t seem to be practicable ask whether you have understood the constraints of the situation accurately, and reformulate your understanding of the situation if needed (if you do this you might need to iterate to an earlier stage in the process)

iii) try to modify the option so it is practicable

iv) failing ii) and iii), eliminate the option.

3. For the remaining options check how well each option satisfies what weightily matters. Try to adapt options so that they satisfy as much of what you determined to weightily matter as possible.

Create a table like this:

Along the top write your different options and down the first column write the values you want to realize. Put the most weighty values at the top of the column and the least weighty at the bottom.

	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3	…..
Value 1 (more weighty)
Value 2
Value 3
Value 4 (less weighty)
….

In each cell write whether the option satisfies the value.

4. Select as your preferred solution the option that is relevant to the problem, practicable in the situation, and satisfies the most of what you have determined weightily matters. Look to see which option captures most of the values that you determined to be the most weighty. Aim to be win-win and select the option which captures as much of what weightily matters as possible (don’t choose options which only select part of what weightily matters if you can help it).

John’s Case mpath

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Goal: Check that the solution you have chosen is a good solution. Work out, in detail, how to implement your solution and how to monitor it for effectiveness. Commit yourself to your solution and then act on it.

Index to Stage 4 mpath Quick Guide to Stage 4

Jump to: Stage 1: Situation Stage 2: What Matters Stage 3: Options Stage 4: Solution

Step 4.1. CHECK THAT YOU ARE IN POSITION TO CHOOSE A SOLUTION *

This is your chance to caste your eye over everything again. You want to check whether you have made any wrong moves in your analysis. If you think you might have iterate to an earlier stage.

mpath

Exercise: Check your analysis *

1. Check that your option is not chosen simply because you haven’t done enough to find out what the situation is really like.

2. Check that you are not choosing this option simply to keep people happy who don’t really matter.

3. Check that you are not choosing this option for improperly self-serving reasons.

4. Review your understanding of the situation and what the problem is.

5. Check that you have no outstanding and important questions to resolve about the situation and problem.

6. Check that you are happy with what you have determined matters for the solution.

7.Check that you have not too quickly eliminated any options that might have been better than the one you have selected.

      8.Check that your reasons and feelings are in harmony about the solution that you have chosen.

9. Ask yourself what you would feel like if you did this option? Vividly imagine yourself having done it, role play doing it, or tell other people what you are planning to do.

10. Ask yourself what sort of person would do this course of option (would you approve of this

sort of person, would you want your children to be this sort of person, would someone you admire do this action)?

John’s Case mpath

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Step 4.2. WORK OUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT YOUR SOLUTION *

There might be various things that you will need to do to carry out your chosen option. Now is the time to work out what you might need to do.

mpath

Exercise: Work out How to Implement Your Solution *

1. Work out in detail exactly what you will do and when (if this raises additional problems iterate to appropriate previous step – is the problem to do with your understanding of the problem or situation ?)

2. Try to determine if there will be any questions or obstacles that will need resolving as you proceed and if so think of alternative possible courses of action.

3. Devise a fallback plan if these obstacles can't be resolved.

John’s Case mpath

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Step 4.3 WORK OUT HOW TO MONITOR YOUR SOLUTION *

Neither you nor the world tends to stay the same so determine how to monitor if your solution is working if this is needed. When you chose your solution there may have been many questions that you could not answer at the time. You need to be aware of how these pan out. Also, despite the care that you took, you may have been mistaken in parts of your analysis, or it might simply be that things take an unexpected turn. You need to keep an eye out for this.

mpath

Exercise: Work out How to Monitor your Solution *

1. What questions did you have left outstanding during your analysis? Look at these and decide whether the answers to these questions have a bearing on whether you need to monitor your solution.

2. Do you have any feelings of uneasiness about your solution? Use these feelings as a guide to what you need to monitor about your solution.

3. Decide what criteria you are going to use to check if your solution is working.

4. Determine how to monitor these criteria.

John’s Case mpath

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Step 4.4. COMMIT TO YOUR SOLUTION *

You have now put a lot of work into understanding the situation and problem, determining what matters, and finding an option that allows you to satisfy what weightily matters. You have also checked that you have not been misled. Now is the time to commit yourself to your solution. While earlier in the method you needed to restrain yourself from acting too quickly now you need to encourage yourself to commit to the solution you have devised. Try these exercises to encourage yourself:

mpath

Exercise: What Progress Have I Made- Analysis *

1. Look back to your analysis at the beginning of Stage 1 and compare then and now your understanding of the situation and problem, what matters, and what options you had.

2. Look at the solution you have chosen and note how it captures the values that you have determined most weightily matter. If the solution does not capture everything that matters realize that you have chosen an option that captures much of what weightily matters. Fulfilling all the values is rarely possible, so you might feel some regret about what is missing, but feel satisfied that you are capturing what is most weighty.

John’s Case mpath

Exercise: What Progress Have I Made - Emotions *

Review the emotions you analyzed in stage 1 and see how strongly you feel these emotions now. In particular pay attention to your emotions related to your ability and confidence to deal with this problem. You should now feel more realistically confident about your ability to deal with this problem. It is also likely that the anxiety you felt about various aspects of the problem and situation is reduced.

mpath

Exercise: Feel Good about Yourself

1. Ask yourself what sort of person would carry out this option. Given the work you have put

into finding a wise solution you will think something good about the kind of person who would carry it out. Be this person

2. Ask yourself how you will feel when carry out this option. Given the work you have put into finding a wise solution you will feel good if you carry out your solution. Feel this.

Congratulations if you have made good use of the stages and exercises, and other things being equal, you should have made a wise decision. Go to contact us to provide us with feedback about using PROGRESS through this website (we’d love to know what you think and feel about it), or for more help or for training for yourself or your organization on wise decision-making.

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

JOHN’S CASE

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

This is an analysis of a problem facing John. His problem is analysed through using the stages of PROGRESS and the exercises given. If you click on return this will take you back to the explanation of the exercise and how it fits into the full version of PROGRESS. You will find it hard to follow the analysis of John’s case without doing this. You should start by reading the John’s Initial Understanding of His Situation and Problem (below) to see what the case is all about.

John’s case is based loosely on a case in ‘Plato not Prozac’ by L. Marinoff.

Record the Situation and Problem

John’s Initial Understanding of His Situation and Problem

The Situation:

John has been looking after his elderly mother. Although she has a degenerative neurological disease and has been confined to a wheelchair for some time she has been able to have a relatively normal life because of John's care for her at the family home. However, her situation has been deteriorating and she has been experiencing increasingly frequent bouts of mild to extreme disorientation, including anxiety, hysteria, amnesia and fainting.

John's mother, when lucid, says she wishes to remain at home, but because John has work and school responsibilities, as well as social activities, he cannot be with her all the time. There is no one else available to look after his mother and John does not have enough money to pay for some one to look after her when he is not there. Recently, she was found by John, after he returned from an outing, at the bottom of stairs, with the wheelchair on her, unconscious and bleeding. She was taken to hospital and found to have no serious injuries. However extensive tests were carried out on her, and the unanimous opinion of the family doctor, the attending physician and the social worker was that she should be kept in hospital until a permanent chronic care place became available in three or fourth months time.

John knew that his mother would stridently oppose being in a chronic care unit. He realised that this was inevitable, but was fearful that being institutionalized in the hospital, waiting for the place, would lead to her psychological deterioration as her faculties became idle, and that she would become depressed knowing she would soon be committed to the chronic care unit. Moreover, he suspected that the institutional authorities' recommendations, while simplifying matters for them, were not really in the best overall interests of his mother, as they underestimated his ability to look after his mother, and they were not heeding his concerns about her psychological deterioration.

The Problem:

John wants to decide what he should do with his mother. He has been looking after her at home. Now, following her fall, she is in hospital, and John wants to decide how he can best look after her. What makes this problematic is that both leaving her is hospital, and taking her out of hospital, have weighty advantages and serious drawbacks.

The Options:

On the one hand he could follow the Drs advice and leave her in hospital before she goes to the chronic care unit. This option has the advantage that his mother’s medical welfare is protected, but her psychological welfare is in doubt. On the other hand he wonders whether a better course of action would be to bring his mother home for one "last summer" together. This would be better for her psychological welfare but would leave her medical welfare in some doubt.

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Assess the Certainty of your Analysis (preliminary)

John’s Assessment of How Certain He Feels About His Analysis

The Situation:

John has been looking after his elderly mother (+ +). Although she has a degenerative neurological disease (+ +) and has been confined to a wheelchair for some time (+ +) she has been able to have a relatively normal life (+) because of John's care for her at the family home (+ +). However, her situation has been deteriorating and she has been experiencing increasingly frequent bouts of mild to extreme disorientation, including anxiety, hysteria, amnesia and fainting (+ +).

John's mother, when lucid, says she wishes to remain at home (+ +), but because John has work and school responsibilities (+ +), as well as social activities (+), he cannot be with her all the time (+ +). There is no one else available to look after his mother (+ +) and John does not have enough money to pay for some one to look after her when he is not there (+ +). Recently, she was found by John, after he returned from an outing, at the bottom of stairs, with the wheelchair on her, unconscious and bleeding (+ +). She was taken to hospital and found to have no serious injuries (+). However extensive tests were carried out on her (+ +), and the unanimous opinion of the family doctor, the attending physician and the social worker was that she should be kept in hospital until a permanent chronic care place became available in three or fourth months time (+ +).

John knew that his mother would stridently oppose being in a chronic care unit (+ +). He realised that this was inevitable (+), but was fearful that being institutionalized in the hospital, waiting for the place, would lead to her psychological deterioration as her faculties became idle (+ +), and that she would become depressed knowing she would soon be committed to the chronic care unit (+ +). Moreover, he suspected that the institutional authorities' recommendations, while simplifying matters for them (+ +), were not really in the best overall interests of his mother (+), as they underestimated his ability to look after his mother (+), and they were not heeding his concerns about her psychological deterioration (+ +).

The Problem:

John wants to decide what he should do with his mother. He has been looking after her at home (+ +). Now, following her fall, she is in hospital, and John wants to decide how he can best look after her. What makes this problematic is that both leaving her is hospital, and taking her out of hospital, have weighty advantages and serious drawbacks (+ +).

The Options:

On the one hand he could follow the Drs advice and leave her in hospital before she goes to the chronic care unit. This option has the advantage that his mother’s medical welfare is protected (+ +), but her psychological welfare is in doubt (+ +). On the other hand he wonders whether a better course of action would be to bring his mother home for one "last summer" together. This would be better for her psychological welfare (+ +) but would leave her medical welfare in some doubt (+).

Parts of the Analysis John Considers Re-Assessing:

John feels certain about most of what he has said but at this stage considers re-assessing whether he would be able to look after his mother at home, how he could better care for her at home, and how serious his mother’s medical condition is.

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Record and Analyse Your Emotions

John’s Record of his Emotions, their Strength, and What the Emotions Relate to:

EMOTION	STRENGTH (0 – 100)	ABOUT WHAT	CATEGORY (OWN DECISION-MAKING, SITUATION, OUTCOME, OPTIONS)
Concern/Anxiety	95	Mother’s Present and Future. Her psychological faculties, possibility of being depressed, her wish to remain out of hospital, the danger of medical mishap if out of hospital	situation and outcome
Guilt	70	Fall Down the Stairs	Situation
Guilt	90	Prospective – about letting mother down in future	Outcome
Worry	90	Making the Right Decision	Own Decision-Making
Sadness	90	Over the medical condition of the mother	Situation and outcome
Fear	40	Upsetting mother	outcome
Pride/ Self Respect	70	Over looking after mother at home And prospectively about looking after his mother in future	Situation Outcome
Suspicion	70	At medical authorities recommendations	situation
Anger	75	At the implication by the medical authorities that he was unable to look after his mother	situation
Despair	80	That nothing will work out right	Situation, outcome, own decision-making, options
Warmth	90	The “last summer”	option
Anxiety	90	If stay in the hospital – the dangers of institutionalisation	option

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Be your own Sympathetic Critic (or get a friend/colleague to help)

Questions Raised by John, and a friend of John’s, about his analysis:

(John’s original claim is in italic)

1. John: He can look after his mother at home.

What is the state of John's mother? Can John cope with the medical problems? Does John really know what he is letting himself in for? For example, how heavy is his mother? Can John lift her easily? Does John really know better than the medical authorities about his ability to cope? What really are the medical staff's motivations for what they say to John? Are they as suspect as John thinks?

2. John: He would look after his mother alone, and she would sometimes be without care when John is out

Is it really the case that the mother would be obliged to stay home alone? Would the state pay for some home help? What about other friends or relatives; are there really none available?

3. John: His mother would stridently oppose staying in hospital

Is this really the case given that she has had a serious fall? Has she changed her mind? Does she want a "last summer" as much as John? Should her wishes be so important anyway?

4. John: He would furnish her with additional personal care.

What is this additional care? What does John mean by this? What more could he do than he did before?

5. John: His mother staying in the hospital would lead to her psychological deterioration

Is the hospital such a bad place and need it be? Could John improve his mother's experience of the hospital? What does John mean by psychological deterioration?

6. John: The hospital has greater medical safety

Is it really the case whether even the hospital can protect the mother's physical health?

7. John: He should broach with his mother that she has to go to a chronic care unit.

Is John the best person to do this? Might not a more neutral party be better able to broach this topic?

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Be an Un-Spin Doctor: Spot and Deal with Loaded Words and Phrases

John’s Un-Spin Doctoring:

John has described the time he is thinking of spending with his mother, before she goes into a chronic care unit, as a “last summer” together. This loaded, emotive phrase carries with it images of 'being on golden pond' and a rosy glow of warmth and closeness. This emotive phrase might however be misleading. Will the time spent together, with his mother’s deteriorating physical condition, and his multiple commitments to her and his work and school, live up to this rosy image? Could it instead be a “hellish last winter”? Both of these phrases are loaded and emotive; an alternative for John is to try and describe it in more neutral terms such as “final few months living together” and to objectively assess what this time would really be like. To what extent would it be a ‘last summer’ and to what extent a ‘hellish winter’?

John has described the alternative course of action, his mother staying in the hospital, as “institutionalization”. This loaded and emotive term carries overtones of loss of dignity, depersonalisation and 'greyness'. A more neutral description John could adopt is: “staying in hospital for a few months”. Again what this will be like can be investigated more objectively. Will it, or need it, lead to loss of dignity, depersonalization and ‘greyness’? Could staying in the hospital have any positive benefits (besides being medically safer)?

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Become Aware of What Seems Important to You and Test its Importance

John’s Analysis of What Stands out to him and Testing its Importance:

What Stands Out:

When John thinks about what has made a big impression on him he thinks of three things:

His shock and horror at finding his mother unconscious at the bottom of the stairs (if he closes his eyes he can still see her there).

The Doctors stating that they thought it was medically unwise for him to bring his mother home, and, what really galled him, the implication that he had been stupid to look after his mother at home (he can still feel himself getting angry about this when he thinks of it – after all he’d done to look after his mother).

His mother repeatedly saying she never ever wanted to end up like her own mother, vegetating in an institution, and expressing her own feelings that she had let her mother down in not caring for her properly (his own eyes fill with tears when he thinks of this).

Testing its Importance

John realizes that finding his mother unconscious at the bottom of the stairs highlights the danger for his mother of being at home alone. This incident is an indication of the medical condition of his mother and the kind of care that she needs. However, while being serious, it is only one incident, so John realizes he should consider what other information he has about his mother’s medical condition. Moreover he can reconsider how, and to what extent, he can make his home safer for his mother. This shows that he needs to think very carefully about whether it would be okay to leave his mother unattended.

The Doctors’ judgment is galling because John thought he was doing the right thing. This after all is what his mother wants. However John realizes that he should not base his judgment about what the Drs say on the basis of his anger towards them, but more objectively try to determine what the risks are to his mother in the future so that he can do the right thing.

His mother’s wish not to end up like her mother is important. Surely what his mother wants is important but John needs to carefully consider whether her staying in the hospital is really ‘vegetating’. From his earlier practice in ‘unspinning’ John realizes that calling something ‘vegetating’ is loaded and he needs to carefully consider what life in the hospital, and then in the chronic care unit, will be like for his mother. John also realizes that he doesn’t want to let his mother down – he wants to try and make the rest of her life as good as possible – but that he needs to be careful to think what making his mother’s life as good as possible really implies.

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Be an Ace Investigative Journalist

John, with help from a friend, thinks that he would like to have answers to the following questions, to help him decide what he should do:

1. What is his mother’s medical condition really like? How dangerous is it for her to be away from the hospital? What things might happen to her and how likely are they?

2. Why would the medical staff mislead him? What motivations for doing this might they have? Why would all the different medical staff want to mislead him? Are the medical staff giving advice independently of each other or have they colluded? If they might mislead him does John have any other authorities he can get independent opinions from?

3. How much time would he have available for looking after his mother at home? Could he get medical help at home?

4. Are there places other than the hospital or his home that his mother could stay in while she is waiting for the chronic care place?

5. What does his mother really want? How could this best be found out?

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Ask Others What They Think (or imagine what they might say)

John imagines what his mother might say and listens to his best friend:

John lists the people in the situation as himself, his mother, and the medical authorities.

John knows that his mother in the past has stridently said she does not want to stay in hospital but he wonders whether she might now say something different. He imagines that she might say now, after her fall, that she would prefer to be in hospital, and is scared of being left by herself at home, and even anxious that John cannot look after her when he is there. While wanting to be in the hospital, John imagines that she might say she wants to spend a little time at home, just to say ‘good-bye’ to it before going back to the hospital. Alternatively she might say she has admiration for John's devotion and doesn’t want to go into hospital so as not to disappoint John’s desire to look after her. As a final possibility he imagines that she might say she wants to stay away not just from hospital, but also the chronic care unit, as long as she possibly can – he remembers she said she never wanted to be in any institution, ever.

John remembers that the medical staff see his plan to continue to look after his mother as foolish because of mothers' physically deteriorating condition.

John's best friend expresses admiration for John’s devotion to and love of his mother but worries that John might be sacrificing his own life too much in dedicating himself to his care of his mother. John’s best friend is also concerned about how John will feel if something bad does happen to his mother if she comes back to stay at home and whether John will feel that he has abandoned his mother if he leaves her to stay in hospital.

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Reassess the Situation and Problem

John has changed some of his views about some aspects of the situation. Differences to how he thinks about the situation now are expressed in bold.

The Situation:

John has been looking after his elderly mother. Although she has a degenerative neurological disease and has been confined to a wheelchair for some time she has been able to have a relatively normal life because of John's care for her at the family home. However, her situation has been deteriorating and she has been experiencing increasingly frequent bouts of mild to extreme disorientation, including anxiety, hysteria, amnesia and fainting.

John's mother, when lucid, says she wishes to remain at home, but because John has work and school responsibilities, as well as social activities, he cannot be with her all the time. There is no one else available to look after his mother and John does not have enough money to pay for some one to look after her when he is not there. Recently, she was found by John, after he returned from an outing, at the bottom of stairs, with the wheelchair on her, unconscious and bleeding. She was taken to hospital and found to have no serious injuries. However extensive tests were carried out on her, and the unanimous opinion of the family doctor, the attending physician and the social worker was that she should be kept in hospital until a permanent chronic care place became available in three or fourth months time.

John knew that his mother would stridently oppose being in a chronic care unit. John is now less certain about whether his mother would be so stridently opposed to this. He realised that this was inevitable, but was fearful that being institutionalized in the hospital, waiting for the place, would lead to her psychological deterioration as her faculties became idle, and that she would become depressed knowing she would soon be committed to the chronic care unit. John is now less certain that hospitalization would necessarily lead to the loss of her faculties and that she would be depressed in the hospital. Moreover, he suspected that the institutional authorities' recommendations, while simplifying matters for them, were not really in the best overall interests of his mother, as they underestimated his ability to look after his mother, and they were not heeding his concerns about her psychological deterioration. John is now a little more sympathetic to the medical authorities although he does want another opinion. He is less certain of his capacity to look after his mother at home.

The Problem

John wants to decide what he should do with his mother. Currently she is in hospital, following her fall, and John wants to decide how he can best look after her. On the one hand he could follow the Drs advice and leave her in hospital before she goes to the chronic care unit. On the other hand he wonders whether a better course of action would be to bring his mother home for one "last summer" together, where he could furnish her with additional personal care, and gradually broach with his mother the need for her to move into the chronic care unit. John still sees himself faced with the same problem but he is less inclined to describe looking after his mother at home as a “last summer”. He realizes he needs to think carefully about what additional care he could provide at home, or how he could make staying in the hospital a better experience for his mother.

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Reassess Your Emotions

John’s Reassessments are in bold. The appropriate and appropriate action columns have been added.

EMOTION	STRENGTH (0 – 100)	ABOUT WHAT	CATEGORY (OWN DECISION-MAKING, SITUATION, OUTCOME)	APPROPRIATE EXPLANATION	APPROPRIATE ACTION
Concern/Anxiety	95	Mother’s Present and Future. Her psychological faculties, possibility of being depressed, her wish to remain out of hospital, the danger of medical mishap if out of hospital Also: possibility of loss of mother’s emotional health if stay’s with John	situation and outcome	Yes Given mother’s condition	Select the best course of action
Guilt	50	Fall Down the Stairs	Situation	Perhaps Tried to do his best, but how wise ?	Try to manage situation to reduce chance of accidents of this kind
Guilt	10	Prospective – about letting mother down in future	Outcome	No Not if John chooses wisely	Choose wisest course of action
Worry	60	Making the Right Decision	Own Decision-Making	Partly Worry reduced as start to move into problem solving mode	Follow wise decision-making procedure
Sadness	90	Over the medical condition of the mother	Situation and outcome	Yes It is an unfortunate condition to be in	Try to make best of an unfortunate situation
Fear	20	Upsetting mother	outcome	Partly John’s mother being upset, and perhaps angry at John, is relevant but it shouldn’t be the sole, or ever a major, basis for John’s decision	Try to allow mother some control over her own fate
Pride/ Self Respect	70	Over looking after mother at home And prospectively about looking after his mother in future	Situation Outcome	maybe Certainly has been very caring but what of the judgment of the Drs about the lack of wisdom	Choose an option that allows John to be a caring son
Suspicion	50	At medical authorities recommendations	situation	Maybe Some uncertainty over whether Drs are being unthoughtful of mother’s wellbeing	Seek other medical opinions
Anger	50	At the implication by the medical authorities that he was unable to look after his mother	situation	Maybe Perhaps unwise to have mother at home alone	None
Despair	80 80 40	That nothing will work out right	Situation, outcome own decision-making	Partly The situation is indeed a terrible one Partly Difficult to get a very good outcome No	None Try to find best possible solution Following a wise decision-making process
Warmth	90 (20)	The “last summer”	option	Not very as this might not come about	Consider options carefully
Anxiety	90 (70)	If stay in the hospital – the dangers of institutionalisation	option	Some uncertainty about the likelihood of this	Consider options carefully

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Generate Candidate Values

On John’s original evaluation of the problem these values were recognized:

• Avoiding the mother’s deteriorating psychological faculties
• Avoiding the mother’s depression if left in hospital
• Satisfying the mother’s wish to remain out of hospital
• Satisfying John's desire to broach the issue of permanent chronic care at home
• Looking after the mother’s physical welfare.

The exercises in Stage 1 helped John to uncover these further values :

• the mother being able to say good-bye to her home
• protecting the mother's emotional health in general (not just depression from being in hospital), including such things as fear and disorientation
• the mother getting what she wants (in general, not just in avoiding hospital)
• John's life not being affected
• John feeling that he's done all he reasonably can.

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Sort out the Values at Stake:

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Determine Weighty Values (1): Examine Reasons

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Determine Weighty Values (2): Examine Emotions

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Determine Weighty Values (3) - Eliminate and Weigh

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Brainstorming

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Use Your Analysis of What Matters as a Guide

John, at the beginning had identified two options:

style="">1. Taking his mother home until the chronic care place becomes available

style="">2. Leaving his mother in hospital until the chronic care place becomes available

Looking at the list of values John generated these options:

style="">3. Letting his mother choose for herself where she wants to be.

style="">4. A mixture of his mother staying for limited periods of time with John, with periods in the hospital.

This fourth option has many sub-options. For instance:

style="">i) John taking time of work for a few weeks, to provide intense care followed by his mother staying in hospital

style="">ii) John, or his mother, taking a loan so that she can stay

somewhere else or pay to get medical help in the home

iii) The mother staying in hospital most of the time with away-days and weekends with John when he can provide intense care

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

What do the Options Reveal about What Matters ?

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Select the Best Option

John made this table to find which option best allows him to satisfy the weighty values:

Option What matters	1 Bringing mother home	2 Mother stays in hospital	3 Let mother choose	4 Combine hospital care with staying with John
John's life not being severely affected	At high risk	Risk of severe guilt	At high risk	Best chance
Emotional health of mother	Doubtful	At risk	Uncertain	Best chance
Medical health of mother	At risk	Best	Uncertain	Not as good as staying in hospital all the time, but second best
Mother choosing what she would like	Probably, though can't be sure	Probably not	Yes	Unknown

The above table shows how the options are assessed. Along the top are the four options and down the side are the four options. Each cell in the table assesses how well an option satisfies a value.

John's first option of bringing his mother home for the "last summer" was claimed, initially, to have the advantage of protecting her emotional health, but the disadvantage that it would possibly lead to the loss of her physical health. While the possible loss of her physical health certainly seems to be a risk, as surely John is unable to care for his mother's physical health when he is not there, it can be doubted, now that the situation has been more carefully investigated, whether there is as much acceptability for the first claim as John thinks. John's mother, left alone for periods and in a deteriorating condition, after already being hospitalised from a fall, might not have a "last summer" but instead find her last days before going to the chronic care unit to be a "hellish winter" of fear and disorientation. If this were to be the case, or if she suffers from a serious health problem, or even death, John's long-term interest might be blighted if he comes to suffer severe guilt over the decision he has made, or if he too has a hellish time of trying to care for his mother when stretched way beyond his own resources. Furthermore in this option the mother's own wishes are not consulted and it is simply assumed that she would still wish to stay with John; it has become apparent though that there is some doubt about this. So the first option, it turns out, is not even a secure way of satisfying the value of preserving the mother's emotional health.

John's second option of simply staying in hospital at least seems more likely to preserve his mother's physical health. John is very concerned about its effect on her emotional health; perhaps he exaggerates whether the hospital is really such a dreadful place for her emotional health, particularly if he is willing to furnish as much care on visiting her as he wishes to furnish on her living with him. Although this option is not likely to put a great burden on John, certainly as compared to the first option, it might lead to him regretting that he had not done all he could do to look after his mother in her twilight years. This might affect his future life in a negative and moderate, or, less likely, severe way.

The third option, of letting the mother choose, is largely an unknown as we have no certain idea what John's mother would choose. There are some doubts, given her psychological condition and the fact that she cannot know what she is like when she is not lucid, whether it is wise to let the mother choose for herself. Doubt about this option is further supported by the fact that, if she chose to remain at home with John, this would put too heavy a burden upon him, quite possibly leading to his life being severally, and negatively, affected.

There are several variants on the fourth option: John's mother could use the hospital as a base from which she could take days out with John, or maybe she could stay for short periods with John between longer hospital stays, or maybe John could take a few weeks off from work where he could look after his mother full-time before she returned to the hospital permanently, or maybe there could be some way of providing nursing care, for a limited period of time, at John's home, before she goes back to the hospital or chronic care unit. All of these options are better at preserving the mother's physical health than the "last summer" option, and all are better than the hospital only option of preserving her emotional health. Furthermore these options also are likely to preserve John's long-term future as he can feel he has done what he should to look after his mother without putting her in danger, and they provide the mother with some autonomy over her own life as she can choose which of these options she would like, and when she would like to be with John and when with professional medical care. So it seems likely that this fourth option captures most of what is most weightily important and hence is the favoured solution.

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Check your analysis

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Work out How to Implement Your Solution

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

Work out How to Monitor your Solution

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

What Progress Have I Made

WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING THIS: REVISIT US LATER

Return

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

INDEX TO PROGRESS

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

This is an index for the full version. Exercises recommended for the medium guide are marked with an asterix (*).

For the medium length version you should also read the advise at the beginning of each stage and step.

INDEX TO STAGE 1

Return to Stage 1

Stage 1: ANALYSE THE SITUATION AND PROBLEM

Step 1.1 Your initial analysis of the situation and problem.

* Exercise: Analyse the Situation and Problem
*Exercise: Assess the Certainty of your Analysis

* Exercise: Analyse and Record Your Emotions

Step 1.2 Refine and expand your analysis of, and feelings about, the situation and problem

1.2.1 Strive for Accuracy

* Exercise: Be your own Sympathetic Critic

1.2.2 Strive for Fair-Mindedness

* Exercise: Be an Un-Spin Doctor: Spot and Deal with Loaded Words and Phrases

Exercise: Become Aware of What Seems Important to You and Test its Importance

1.2.3 Strive to get a Full Understanding

* Exercise: Be an Ace Investigative Journalist

Exercise: Ask Others What They Think

Step 1.3 Reassess your initial analysis of, and feelings about, the situation and problem

* Exercise: Reassess your Analysis of the Situation and Problem

* Exercise: Reassess Your Emotions

INDEX TO STAGE 2

Return to Stage 2

Stage 2: DETERMINE WHAT MATTERS

Step 2.1 Generate Candidate Values

* Exercise: Generate candidate values

Step 2.2 Assess the Candidate Values

Exercise: Sort out the Values at Stake

Exercise: Determine Weighty Values (1): Examine Reasons

Exercise: Determine Weighty Values (2) – Examine Emotions

* Exercise: Determine Weighty Values (3) - Eliminate and Weigh

INDEX TO STAGE 3

Return to stage 3

Stage 3: GENERATE AND EVALUATE OPTIONS

Step 3.1 Generate Potential Options

Exercise: Brainstorm

* Exercise: Use What Matters as a Guide

Step 3.2 Evaluate the Potential Options to Find a Best Option

Exercise: What do the Options Reveal about What Matters?

* Exercise: Select the Best Option

INDEX TO STAGE 4

Return to stage 4

Stage 4: CHECK YOUR SOLUTION. WORK OUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR IT.

COMMIT YOURSELF TO THE SOLUTION

Step 4.1 Check that you are in Position to Choose a Solution

* Exercise: Check your Analysis

Step 4.2 Work out how to Implement your Solution

* Exercise: Work out How to Implement Your Solution

Step 4.3 Work out how to Monitor your Solution

* Exercise: Work out How to Monitor your Solution

Step 4.4. Commit to your Solution

* Exercise: What Progress Have I Made - Analysis

* Exercise: What Progress Have I Made - Emotions

Exercise: Feel Good about Yourself

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

HOW TO CONTACT US

Why Contact Us Who We Are Get On-Line Help

PROGRESS: A Procedure for Wise Decision Making

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory

You can contact us at the following addresses:

David Arnaud at

Tim LeBon at tim@timlebon.com

Antonia Macaro at antonia.macaro@googlemail.com

You can also contact us at:

PROGRESS: A PROCEDURE FOR WISE DECISION-MAKING

8, Richmond Rd

East Finchley

London

N2 8JT

WHY CONTACT US

How to Contact Us Who We Are Get On-Line Help

Please contact us for any of the following:

i) To receive confidential on-line help with a decision you are trying to make (we will agree a fee for this in co-operation with you).

ii) if you wish to arrange confidential sessions to talk through your problem with one of us (we are based in London, England).

iii) If you face a problem as an organisation that you would like us to help you with.

iv) If you wish to provide training for yourself or your organisation in decision-making.

v) To find out more about what we do.

vi) To provide us with information about courses and events you’d like listed in the diary or to provide a review for the theory section.

vii) To provide feedback on how you find this website.

WHO WE ARE

How to Contact Us Why Contact Us Get On-Line Help

PROGRESS derives from a rich mix of philosophical, psychological and management theory with practical experience gained by us through working as counselors, trainers and teachers.

David Arnaud MSc, SPP

I initially trained as a philosopher gaining a first from Middlesex University and following this I worked as a lecturer in both Philosophy and Psychology. While doing this I took an MSc in the Psychology of Education where I investigated how students dealt with arguments about practical ethical issues. Since then I have trained in philosophical counseling, philosophy for children and Socratic Dialogue. Together with Tim Lebon and Antonia Macaro I have published a number of articles on decision-making. I have one child of two years and, with my partner, we are trying to decide whether to have another! With my free time I enjoy playing the classical guitar and exercising by swimming, cycling and tennis.

Tim LeBon MA, M.Phil, UKCP reg  psychotherapist

I am a philosophical counsellor,existential psychotherapist and life coach in private practice in London. I studied philosophy at Oxford and London and trained as an existential counsellor at Regent's College, London. I was the founding editor of Practical Philosophy, the journal of the SPP. My first book Wise Therapy was published by Sage in 2001. My own web site contains a lot of my more recent thinking and research,

GET ON-LINE HELP WITH YOUR DECISIONS

How to Contact Us Why Contact Us Who Are We

Working through PROGRESS by yourself or with a friend or colleague should help you to make a wiser decision. You might also feel that you would benefit from on-line help from one of us. Please feel free to contact us on any of the addresses below. If you do, in co-operation with you, we will agree a fee for the help. We also offer in person consulting and training. Contact
David Arnaud at DavidArnau@aol.com

UsingThisSite Introduction Overview Guides: Quick Medium Full Index John’sCase ContactUs Courses Links Theory