Final answer:
The first step in the decision-making process is identifying the decision problem, which involves understanding the unknowns and listing them out.
Step-by-step explanation:
Identifying the decision problem is the first step in the decision-making process. This foundational step involves understanding what needs to be addressed and is essential before any further steps can be taken. In particularly complex problems, it is crucial to identify the unknowns by creating a list to fully grasp the scope of the decision that needs to be made.