Leading & Collaborating in a Competitive World
Anthony Webb
School of Business/MGT/230
Management Theory and Practice
May 11, 2013

Barbara Kelleyl

Reaching the decision to go back to college after spending several years in the Air Force was challenging. In spite of my own personal reservations, the desire to obtain a college degree outweighed the apprehensions. As the decision maker, I had the responsibility to dig in deeper to diagnose the situation (Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. 2011). Initially, it seemed as though the admissions process would be quite simple; pick out a school, pay the tuition, and attend. However, collecting the information required and speaking with the college advisor became overwhelming, and I began to question if attending college at this point in my life was the best decision. As a result, I began talking with friends, colleagues, and family members who had dealt with the same type of situation. Decision makers who search for ready-made solutions use ideas they have tried before or follow the advice of others who have faced similar problems (Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. 2011).
I soon recognized that making any kind of decision, whether personal or professional, can result with different outcomes. I had to take a look at all the possibilities, and weigh out the pros and the cons. For example, working full-time, managing time with my family versus the time needed to complete homework assignments. In addition, weeknight schedule versus the weekend, and attending a campus versus online classes. I had to consider which solution would work best for my lifestyle. According to the test, the third stage of decision making involves determining the value or adequacy of the alternatives that were generated (Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. 2011).
All these alternatives brought me back to the original goal of attaining a college degree. It was now time to make a choice. After speaking with several people, choosing the University of Phoenix became easy because of the programs offered, the accelerated instruction, and the accommodating class