The IDEAL decision making process involves 5 steps: 1) Identify the problem, 2) Determine possible solutions, 3) Evaluate the pros and cons of each solution, 4) Act on the best solution, and 5) Learn from the choice. An example walks through applying these steps to the problem of a friend pressuring one to drive without a license. The best solution, as determined through evaluation, is to not drive the car and ask the friend to leave if they continue pressuring.

1. I.D.E.A.L. Decision Making
Melissa Rodgers

2. The IDEAL decision making process
•Identify the problem
•Determine all possible solutions
•Evaluate each solution
•Act on the BEST solution
•Learn from your choice

3. IDENTIFY:
• Figure out what the problem is

4. Determine:
• Make a list of all the ways you could solve this
problem.
• Even if the solutions are not right or far fetched

5. Evaluate:
• Think about the pros and cons of each solution
you came up with.
• What is the good thing about handling the
situation one way and what is the a bad thing

6. Act
• From your list of solutions with their pros and
cons, decide what is the BEST course of action

7. Learn
• After you act, reflect on if you made the best
choice and what you could do different next
time.

8. Example:
• You and a friend are at your house and there are
no parents home. Your friend really wants you
to drive around town in your parent’s car. You
have just started drivers education and you do
not have your drivers license yet. Using the
IDEAL process what do you do?

9. Example:
• Step One (Identify) : what is the problem?
▫ Your friend is pressuring you to drive around
town without permission or drivers license

10. Example:
• Step Two: Determine all possible solutions (list a
minimum of 4) – ALL solutions (even if they are
far fetched)
 Drive car
 Do not drive car
 Ask your friend to leave
 Have your friend drive the car

11. Example
• Step three: Evaluate each situation with a positive(+)
or negative (-).
 Drive car
 (+) doing something fun with a friend (-) get in HUGE trouble
 Do not drive car
 (+) Staying safe (-) friend is mad or disappointed
 Ask your friend to leave
 (+) will no longer be peer pressured (-) friend is mad
 Have your friend drive the car
 (+) will not be the one to get in an accident (-) get in HUGE
trouble

12. Example
• Step Four - Act on the best solution:
• Do not drive the car and if friend continues to pressure,
ask them to leave
• Step Five Learn - Ask yourself did you make the
right choice? What would you do differently next
time?