Consensus Based Decision Making

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Consensus BasedDecision Making

• Dr. John Robert Dew

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What is consensus?

• A situation where a group can agree on a course
  of action wherein
• Everyones voice was heard.
• Everyone buys in at least 70.
• No one has serious heartburn.
• No vote was taken, so no one won and no one lost.

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Decision Making Styles
Manager lets group decide
High
Manager group decide
Manager consults with group
Employee Participation
Manager consults with individuals
Autocratic Manager Decides
Employee Commitment
Low
High
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Discussion Process
Close
Open
Narrow
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Process and Content

• Must have consensus on process before you can
  have consensus on content.
• Agree on how to proceed.
• Agree to use rational process.
• Agree to generate many options.

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Rational Decision Making

• Identify objectives.
• What are we trying to achieve?
• What conditions must be met?
• What must the best choice be able to do for us
  and what conditions must it meet?
• What else would we want?

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Clarify Musts and Wants

• Be clear about criteria that must be met and
  agree on these.
• Discuss what you would like to see happen and
  understand what everyone wants.

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Group Exercise

• Suppose your organization had funds in the budget
  to purchase a new vehicle.
• What objectives should this new vehicle meet?
• Which objectives would be musts and which would
  be wants?

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Generate a lot of options

• Benchmark others
• Seek an expert opinion
• Refer to publications
• Brainstorm Ideas
• Go shopping

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Discussion
Sometimes beneficial to discuss whether or not
the options meet the musts. Seek verbal agreement
ask if anyone has heartburn. Some topics are
too sensitive or complex to discuss.
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Ground rules for discussion

• Ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak,
  if they want.
• It may be beneficial to limit the amount of time
  each person can speak.
• Ask if there is a consensus.
• Ask if anyone has heartburn.

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Nominal Group Technique

• Count number of options and divide by 3 to
  determine how many choices each person will have.
• Each person selects X number of options they
  prefer.
• Options with the greatest overall support
  represent the consensus.

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Brain writing Combining creative thinking and
NGT

• Work in groups of 4 to 6.
• Round One Each participant writes down 3 ideas.
• Round Two Pass work sheet to the next person who
  adds three more.
• Round Three Pass work sheet to next person who
  adds three more ideas.

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Issue___________________
Brain Writing




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It may take two worksheets for groups up to six
people. After the sheets have gone the full
circle, circulate them again so everyone can read
all of the ideas. Each person will put a plus
mark by the three ideas they like best on each
page.
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The Affinity Process

• Used to build consensus while organizing a wide
  range of information.
• Requires active participants, lots of post-it
  notes.
• A large wall or board.
• Each individual works alone and remains silent.

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Creating an affinity diagram

• State the objective of the exercise.
• Each individual writes their ideas on post-it
  notes.
• Everyone works together to organize the notes
  into groupings on the wall, silently reading and
  moving the notes.
• Continue to everyone is satisfied with the
  organization of the notes.
• Record the results.

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Watch out for group think

• Illusion of unanimity.
• People are pressured to agree.
• Insiders vs. outsiders we insiders all agree
  have to stick together.
• Self-censorship.
• Illusion of invulnerability.