read by mcg: for sunday biz. 8.29 edited by colleen--lynn chiffd Values, needs, emotions influence weighing job choices Working It Out Q: Happy dilemma! I have three job offers, one of which would require moving my family to another larger city. In considering the offers, I get caught up in the smaller details of the decision - such as the cost of moving. I recognize that those details shouldn't be driving the decision. What factors can I objectively consider in evaluating my choices and making the best decision? - No name please A: It may help you to begin with the understanding that no decision of this magnitude can be or should be fully based on objectivity. People are involved - as are emotions - so it's unlikely the right decision would ignore the reality of values, needs and, again, emotions. Just hold them at bay until you're closer to a final decision. Once you've reached that point, pull out the subjective opinions and place your decision next to it to see how it holds up. If your decision holds, you've covered all possible criteria. If the decision crumples under the weight of emotion, you've likely missed an important - to you - criterion. Begin the process by asking yourself what has given you the greatest satisfaction in all your work experience. Make a list. Make a list, also, of those things you've found least desirable in past work experiences. Make a list of the things you'd like to accomplish in your career. Do you want promotion opportunities? Stability with one organization? Growth opportunities? The chance to continue to refine and hone what you already know how to do? Make yet another list of what you value in a work environment. Do you value opportunities to work in a team setting? Do you value structure or do you prefer the freedom to frequently change work or work settings? It may be unfair to compare the known (your current residence) with the unknown, but consider your lifestyle and that of your family. Do you live for out-of-doors recreation experiences or do you long for expansive cultural opportunities or do neither matter because you and your family are tightly cocooned in your home and the other is irrelevant? Once you've made your lists, create a matrix with four columns and however many rows you need to list the number of critical factors you've identified. List the critical factors, by categories and individual items, down the left side. Devise a ranking system. You can use (+), (+/-) an (-) to denote a positive rank, a neutral rank or a deficiency you'd encounter in the job. Alternatively you can use 1-5 or 1-10 to allow you to create an average score for each choice. Finally, rate the actual work you'll be doing in terms of desirability. Be rigorous here. If you're attracted to a small percentage of the work and believe you'll have to endure the rest, give the job a low ranking. If everything about the work appeals, give it a higher score. Once you've completed self-reflection, your lists, the matrix and the scoring, evaluate the "why." What about the job, the work environment or the location appeals in the higher scoring jobs? What shows up as the downside of the lower ranking company? Once you've done that, consider the "details." Are they still as pressing as they originally seemed? Now that you've some clarity on a decision, do those smaller issues really matter. Finally, consider the subjective. How would you feel taking the job you've identified as your best opportunity? If you're feeling excited, pleased, enthused or satisfied, you've made your best decision given the unknowns that still exist. If you're feeling less than satisfied, you may well have missed an important critical factor. You'll need to spend time identifying that one, last, elusive element that provides you - when present - with greater job satisfaction.