Thinking outside of the box is important, but if a person gets too far outside of that box it can be very confusing when it comes to trying to determine what options are viable and what should be avoided. I could have used that step in the model to my advantage, because I was not clear about my options. Basically, I saw my two choices as staying at my old job or getting a better job, but I did not stop to consider what "better" really meant, or how I might have been able to make my own job better suited to me without the need to leave my job and company to work with another organization or to try to work at something similar but in a slightly different capacity. Managers who are interested in helping companies move forward and/or who are interested in staying relevant and valuable in their industry and organization know that the work they do is very important. A great deal of that work will have to do with making decisions, which includes taking all the information and options given and evaluating alternatives...

It is only through the process of evaluation that the best alternative can be chosen and acted upon (Robbins & Judge, 2007). That was important for me to note when it came to my decision about a new job, and could have helped me a lot in being able to narrow down realistic options and choose the best one for me. It is not just about making a decision that will work in the present moment, because long-term consequences have to be considered, as well. That is why the rational decision making approach works so well in management -- because it forces managers to consider both the short-term and the long-term implications of any decision they make, as well as all the options they have for growth and development.
References

Brooks, M.P. (2002). Planning theory for practitioners. Chicago: American Planning Association.

Robbins, S.P., & Judge, T.A. (2007). Organizational behavior (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.