Facilitating Collaborative Decision Making

Anne WrightAnne Wright

Desired Outcomes

By the end of this session you will have:By the end of this session you will have: An understanding of the importance of An understanding of the importance of

maximum appropriate involvement in maximum appropriate involvement in decision makingdecision making

A list of factors to consider when A list of factors to consider when determining how a decision will be madedetermining how a decision will be made

Desired Outcomes

By the end of this session you will have:By the end of this session you will have: A process for completing a basic A process for completing a basic

stakeholder analysisstakeholder analysis A plan for determining the level of A plan for determining the level of

involvement for decision-making in a involvement for decision-making in a current work situationcurrent work situation

All information in this presentation is taken with

permission from Interaction Associates Facilitative

Leadership course.

The Dilemma

Benefits of Involving Benefits of Involving Others in DecisionsOthers in Decisions Buy-inBuy-in Stronger Stronger

relationshipsrelationships Additional Additional

perspectives and perspectives and informationinformation

May result in a better May result in a better decisiondecision

Risks of Involving Risks of Involving Others in DecisionsOthers in Decisions Time consumingTime consuming Getting agreement Getting agreement

can be difficultcan be difficult Limited Limited

information- others information- others may not see the may not see the whole picturewhole picture

Loss of controlLoss of control

Maximum Appropriate Involvement is Key Involvement begins with defining which Involvement begins with defining which

decisions need to be made, and who should decisions need to be made, and who should be involved in making thembe involved in making them

Complete worksheetComplete worksheet

Key Stakeholders

Any person (or group of people) who:Any person (or group of people) who: Is responsible for the final decision.Is responsible for the final decision. Is in a position to implement or block the Is in a position to implement or block the

decision.decision. Is likely to be affected by the outcome of Is likely to be affected by the outcome of

the decision.the decision. Has information or expertise.Has information or expertise.

Decide and Announce

Leader makes the decision and announces it Leader makes the decision and announces it to stakeholdersto stakeholders

Lowest involvement, lowest ownershipLowest involvement, lowest ownership

Gather Input from Individuals and Decide Leader asks selected individuals for input, Leader asks selected individuals for input,

and then the leader makes the decision.and then the leader makes the decision. Low involvement, low ownershipLow involvement, low ownership

Gather Input from the Team and Decide Leader asks team members to share their Leader asks team members to share their

ideas in a meeting. The leader makes the ideas in a meeting. The leader makes the decision after hearing from the team.decision after hearing from the team.

Moderate involvement, moderate ownershipModerate involvement, moderate ownership

Consensus

A consensus decision is one that all team A consensus decision is one that all team members are willing to fully support and members are willing to fully support and implement. All members, including the implement. All members, including the leader, have the same formal power to leader, have the same formal power to support or block proposals.support or block proposals.

High involvement, high ownershipHigh involvement, high ownership

Consensus: THE RULES

Every timeEvery time you use this as your decision- you use this as your decision-making method, before you begin you must:making method, before you begin you must:

Define consensusDefine consensus Specify how the decision will be made if Specify how the decision will be made if

you are unable to reach consensus within a you are unable to reach consensus within a specified time (the fallback)specified time (the fallback)

Clearly outline constraints Clearly outline constraints

Delegate with Constraints

The leader defines the decision to be made The leader defines the decision to be made in the form of a question, clarifies in the form of a question, clarifies constraints, and delegates the decision to constraints, and delegates the decision to others. The leader does not alter the others. The leader does not alter the decision as long as it adheres to the decision as long as it adheres to the constraints.constraints.

Highest involvement, highest ownershipHighest involvement, highest ownership

Factors to Consider

Stakeholder Buy-InStakeholder Buy-In

Importance of Importance of DecisionDecision

CapabilityCapability

Time AvailableTime Available

Information Information NeededNeeded

Building Building TeamworkTeamwork

What About Voting?

Voting is effective when:Voting is effective when: Speed of decision-making is among the Speed of decision-making is among the

highest of prioritieshighest of priorities Stakeholders agree that all options on the Stakeholders agree that all options on the

table are acceptable and of equal merittable are acceptable and of equal merit In collaborative decision-making, voting is In collaborative decision-making, voting is

rarely recommendedrarely recommended

Exercise

Get into coaching pairs.Get into coaching pairs. Select one person's situation.Select one person's situation. The other person will act as a coach and The other person will act as a coach and

help think through and complete the help think through and complete the worksheets.worksheets.

Your goal of this exercise is to decide on Your goal of this exercise is to decide on the level of involvement. You will the level of involvement. You will notnot make the decision today.make the decision today.

Keys to Your Success

Remember that Remember that howhow you make a decision you make a decision can be as important as the decision itselfcan be as important as the decision itself

Actively choose a level of involvement for Actively choose a level of involvement for each decision based on the factors to each decision based on the factors to considerconsider

Most importantly, communicate the level Most importantly, communicate the level of involvement you are using and why of involvement you are using and why you selected that level of involvement for you selected that level of involvement for this decisionthis decision

Decide and Announce

AdvantagesAdvantages Decision can be Decision can be

made quicklymade quickly Leader is in Leader is in

immediate control immediate control of the decisionof the decision

Implementation can Implementation can begin immediatelybegin immediately

DisadvantagesDisadvantages May not be the most May not be the most

well-informed decisionwell-informed decision Those assigned to Those assigned to

carry out the decision carry out the decision may resistmay resist

Those affected may be Those affected may be resentful about not resentful about not having been asked having been asked their opinionstheir opinions

Gather Input from Individuals and Decide AdvantagesAdvantages

Leader has more Leader has more information to make the information to make the decisiondecision

Increased likelihood Increased likelihood that the decision will be that the decision will be carried outcarried out

Doesn’t require Doesn’t require coordinating a meeting coordinating a meeting with all playerswith all players

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Some people may feel Some people may feel

excludedexcluded Ownership is lowOwnership is low If you don’t choose to If you don’t choose to

use a particular use a particular person’s idea, they person’s idea, they might feel resentful, might feel resentful, and be less likely to and be less likely to provide input next timeprovide input next time

Gather Input from the Team and Decide AdvantagesAdvantages

Fosters creative Fosters creative thinking and synergythinking and synergy

Leader has more Leader has more information to make the information to make the decisiondecision

People feel included, People feel included, and therefore are more and therefore are more likely to be committed likely to be committed during implementationduring implementation

DisadvantagesDisadvantages More time consumingMore time consuming May surface group May surface group

issues or conflictsissues or conflicts If the decision is in If the decision is in

conflict with team conflict with team input, individuals may input, individuals may resist or sabotage resist or sabotage implementation implementation

Consensus

AdvantagesAdvantages High level of support High level of support

and ownership of the and ownership of the final decisionfinal decision

Group becomes well Group becomes well educated about the educated about the decision during the decision during the processprocess

Implementation can be Implementation can be easiereasier

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Can be very time Can be very time

consumingconsuming Stakeholders may not Stakeholders may not

have the collaborative have the collaborative skills needed to reach skills needed to reach agreementagreement

The more individuals The more individuals involved, the more involved, the more difficult it becomes to difficult it becomes to reach consensusreach consensus

Delegate with Constraints

AdvantagesAdvantages Frees the leader to Frees the leader to

do other thingsdo other things Garners highest Garners highest

supportsupport Develops leadership Develops leadership

capability in otherscapability in others

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Can be very time Can be very time

consumingconsuming Team may lack the Team may lack the

skill to make a good skill to make a good decision on their owndecision on their own

Leader has little Leader has little control or influence control or influence over the processover the process