Chapter 4: Decision Making Lesson 1: Making Decisions and Setting Goals

Exercise #1 – What Should Kendra Do

Directions: In your group, review the decision-making process. Read the following scenario and go
through the decision-making process to help Kendra decide what to do. Be prepared to share your
answers with the class.

Scenario: “Kendra must make a decision; what should she do?” Kendra and Michele have been best
friends for a long time. Recently, Michele has been spending time with other students who skip classes.
Michele has even boasted of going with them once. Now she wants Kendra to join them too. Kendra
doesn’t want to lose Michele’s friendship, but she knows that her parents trust her to obey school rules.

The Decision-Making/Problem-Solving Process:

1. Identify the problem. (recognize/define)

The problem is that Kendra's friend Michele invites her to do wrong things and disobey her parents.

2. Gather information. (facts/assumptions)

Michelle started hanging out with other students who skipped classes and not obeying the rules at school.

3. Develop courses of action. (solutions)

Not skipping school and obeying school rules.
Trying to convince Michele not to do bad things.

4. Analyze and compare courses of action. (alternatives/solutions)

Both courses of solution are good to avoid the consequences and gain the best choiceand solution to
this problem that kendra has been given.

5. Make a decision; select the best course of action. (solution)

The best solution would be to convince Michele not to do these things just because another person or
group of people has done it.

6. Make a plan. (how, when, what)

By telling Michele not to join that group of people anymore. Also do not talk to them during the weekdays
or lunchtime and try to hang out with people like her best friend to avoid.

7. Implement the plan. (assess the results)

Unit 1: LET 1 – The Emerging Leader