Decision-Making Style Inventory

DMS Assessment Form

DMSI Assessment Instructions

No right or wrong answers. Go with your initial instinct.
For each question, assign scores:
- 8 = most like you
- 4 = second most like you
- 2 = third most like you
- 1 = least like you
Use each score (8, 4, 2, 1) only once per question.
Reflect your true self, not what you think is desirable.

Consider typical work decisions when responding.
Total the columns after completing all questions.

Example: Q1: 8 for "Recognition", 4 for "Status", 2 for "Security", 1 for "Excellence".

Source: Rowe, A. J., & Mason, O. R. (1987). Managing with style: A guide to understanding, assessing, and improving decision making. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

You can listen to this podcast episode or view this presentation to learn more about DMS in creative/marketing teams

Question	Type 1	Type 2	Type 3	Type 4
My prime objective is to:	Have a position with status	Be the best in my field	Achieve recognition for my work	Feel secure in my job
I enjoy jobs that:	Are technical and well defined	Have considerable variety	Allow independent action	Involve people
I expect people working for me to be:	Productive and fast	Highly capable	Committed and responsive	Receptive to suggestions
In my job, I look for:	Practical results	The best solutions	New approaches or ideas	Good working environment
I communicate best with others:	In a direct one-to-one basis	In writing	By having a group discussion	In a formal meeting
In my planning I emphasize:	Current problems	Meeting objectives	Future goals	Developing people
When faced with solving a problem, I:	Rely on proven approaches	Apply careful analysis	Look for creative approaches	Rely on my feelings
When using information, I prefer:	Specific facts	Accurate and complete data	Broad coverage of many options	Limited data that is easily understood
When I am not sure about what to do, I:	Rely on intuition	Search for facts	Look for a possible compromise	Wait before making a decision
Whenever possible, I avoid:	Long debates	Incomplete work	Using numbers or formulas	Conflict with others
I am especially good at:	Remembering dates and facts	Solving difficult problems	Seeing many possibilities	Interacting with others
When time is important, I:	Decide and act quickly	Follow plans and priorities	Refuse to be pressured	Seek guidance or support
In social settings I generally:	Speak with others	Think about what is being said	Observe what is going on	Listen to the conversation
I am good at remembering:	People's names	Places we met	People's faces	People's personality
The work I do provides me:	The power to influence others	Challenging assignments	Achieving my personal goals	Acceptance by the group
I work well with those who are:	Energetic and ambitious	Self-confident	Open minded	Polite and trusting
When under stress, I:	Become anxious	Concentrate on the problem	Become frustrated	Am forgetful
Others consider me:	Aggressive	Disciplined	Imaginative	Supportive
My decisions typically are:	Realistic and direct	Systematic or abstract	Broad and flexible	Sensitive to the needs of others
I dislike:	Losing control	Boring work	Following rules	Being rejected
Total Score:	0	0	0	0
Your Decision-Making Style is the Highest Score	Directive	Analytic	Conceptual	Behavioral

Question

Type 1

Type 2

Type 3

Type 4

My prime objective is to:

Have a position with status

Be the best in my field

Achieve recognition for my work

Feel secure in my job

I enjoy jobs that:

Are technical and well defined

Have considerable variety

Allow independent action

Involve people

I expect people working for me to be:

Productive and fast

Highly capable

Committed and responsive

Receptive to suggestions

In my job, I look for:

Practical results

The best solutions

New approaches or ideas

Good working environment

I communicate best with others:

In a direct one-to-one basis

In writing

By having a group discussion

In a formal meeting

In my planning I emphasize:

Current problems

Meeting objectives

Future goals

Developing people

When faced with solving a problem, I:

Rely on proven approaches

Apply careful analysis

Look for creative approaches

Rely on my feelings

When using information, I prefer:

Specific facts

Accurate and complete data

Broad coverage of many options

Limited data that is easily understood

When I am not sure about what to do, I:

Rely on intuition

Search for facts

Look for a possible compromise

Wait before making a decision

Whenever possible, I avoid:

Long debates

Incomplete work

Using numbers or formulas

Conflict with others

I am especially good at:

Remembering dates and facts

Solving difficult problems

Seeing many possibilities

Interacting with others

When time is important, I:

Decide and act quickly

Follow plans and priorities

Refuse to be pressured

Seek guidance or support

In social settings I generally:

Speak with others

Think about what is being said

Observe what is going on

Listen to the conversation

I am good at remembering:

People's names

Places we met

People's faces

People's personality

The work I do provides me:

The power to influence others

Challenging assignments

Achieving my personal goals

Acceptance by the group

I work well with those who are:

Energetic and ambitious

Self-confident

Open minded

Polite and trusting

When under stress, I:

Become anxious

Concentrate on the problem

Become frustrated

Am forgetful

Others consider me:

Aggressive

Disciplined

Imaginative

Supportive

My decisions typically are:

Realistic and direct

Systematic or abstract

Broad and flexible

Sensitive to the needs of others

I dislike:

Losing control

Boring work

Following rules

Being rejected

Total Score:

Your Decision-Making Style is the Highest Score

Directive

Analytic

Conceptual

Behavioral