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The goal in group
decision making is to ensure that the group makes the best decision
they can; based on all the information they have; as quickly as
possible; with the right level of participation and commitment.
However, often this goal is not achieved. Many decisions made in
groups are neither thoughtful nor inclusive.
Group decision
making takes time and is not appropriate for every decision.
Including people in decision making will strengthen their
understanding of the rationale for the decision, build commitment and
produce better quality decisions.
One
word of caution - if you have a complex or critical decision to make
across a large or challenging group, use the services of a
professional facilitator. Group dynamics can be challenging, and
the following points are designed to help you work with a group more
effectively, not train you in professional facilitation. (If need to make complex or critical decisions with large groups
or there are diverse opinions and challenging dynamics bring in a
professional facilitator to manage the process and support the
leadership role.)
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Establish
clarity on the decision making model being used.
The leader must decide whether this decision requires complete
consensus across the group, majority rule, or just feedback from
the group. No one decision making model is optimum for every
decision or group. Whatever model is selected needs to be
explicit, so that all team members understand what is expected of
them.
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Lead
the group. As the leader your behavior and values will
drive the culture and actions of the group. You need to ensure
that you model the behavior you want to create and that clear
ground rules are established and adhered to. Some
typical ground rules are - we will start and end our meetings on
time, we will leave our personal agendas outside this meeting, we
will be open to new thinking, we will communicate
respectfully, we will keep our commitments.
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Follow
the group. One of
the challenges of leadership is to maintain the right balance
between leading and following the group; between command and
control and abdication of responsibility. Getting the
leading/following balance right requires practice and awareness.
During team meetings share your leadership role with the group by
regularly taking a back seat - allowing you to focus on
understanding group dynamics, listening to the group, and letting
the group lead you. This approach builds empowerment, but you also
need to balance this with a more directive leadership style when
it is required.
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Manage
the process and the content. Groups move slowly, and
individuals within groups move at different paces - some faster -
others slower. As the leader you need to help keep the group
on track from the perspective of process as well as content.
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Believe
in the capabilities your team. Be enthusiastic and
supportive throughout the process. It is likely that at
times the group will get stuck because nothing seems
perfect/acceptable, or the group cannot reach agreement.
This "groan zone" is a normal part of the process and
just acknowledging its existence, will help the group persevere,
move forward and converge in their thinking.
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Manage
participation. Don't
let one or two people dominate the discussions. If you want
consensus and understanding across the team, you need to ensure
that everyone 's opinion is solicited and listened to. One way to
achieve this is to set an expectation that everyone manage their
own "airtime". In addition make sure that you
bring in others who have not contributed and encourage full
participation.
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Review
Pros and Cons. Once all the potential solutions have been
identified, discuss the pros and cons of each solution with the
group. This will build understanding and expand peoples
thinking around each alternative solution or approach.
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Define
the decision making criteria.
If the group gets stuck, take some time to identify the criteria
by which the ideal solution will be selected. This discussion will
reveal how people are evaluating potential solutions and bring
structure to the discussion.
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Make
a decision. No decision is ever going to be without its
down side, so eventually a decision needs to be made. Make
certain that you always end your discussion with an agreed upon
outcome. If necessary you need to "agree to
disagree" and commit to a specific action.
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Review
and agree to a communication plan. Make sure that everyone
leaves the discussion with a consistent understanding of the
agreed decisions and actions. The decision needs to be
clearly articulated, convincing and succinct. Any
action should be specific and have clear ownership and timeframes.
In addition ensure that you agree how any decisions, that impact
other people, will be communicated to them.
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