Editorial September 6, 1993 Issue

Decisionmaking

Richard C. Bergenheim

Some of the most important decisions in life are made while we are in our late teens and early twenties. We start our first full-time job; perhaps we go to college; many times we move into our own home, consider marriage. Not one of these moves is insignificant. And in many cases deciding what we want to do doesn't come easily.

Unfortunately, once we've made up our mind, we can't, for instance, walk through the door of Apple Computer and say, "I really like your products, and all I've heard about your company's management style and plans for the future convinces me that I want to work here"—and expect the personnel office to say, "Wonderful! Can you start on Monday?" We have to apply, and after some form of evaluation, we may or may not be accepted. We are faced with the fact that we can't make all our decisions unilaterally. Our future often seems to be in someone else's hands.

The prospect of starting something new in our lives is often exciting. But I don't know anyone who really enjoys the uncertainty of wondering whether someone he likes, likes him as well, or whether the bank will give one a mortgage, or whether an application for school will be accepted.

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