Making Decisions by Consensus

Not all decisions are made by the boss. Sometime we want to include others in our decision making process. The Big Dogz know how to get others’ opinions incorporated in the decision. They use a process known as consensus.

First of all, a consensus does not mean that everyone agrees with the decision. It means that everyone can support and live with the decision. Generally consensus decisions have very high level of commitment to the decision. They also take a lot more time. If these decisions take so much time, we want to know the process for making a consensus decision.

• Make a commitment to consensus — tell people that you want a consensus decision. And, set a deadline for completion.
  
• Identify the alternative to a consensus decision. What will we do if consensus can not be reached? Options include a majority vote and a consultative decision by the leader.
  
• Have the group clearly state the problem to be solved. This is key to getting everyone focused on solving the same problem.
  
• Use brainstorming to create alternatives. The more alternatives the more likely you will get a robust solution.
  
• Establish criteria for selecting the optimum solution.
  
• Have the group use selection techniques like multi-voting and weighted voting to select the top alternatives.
  
• Use discussion of pros and cons to select the best solution for the group.
  
• Have each member of the group articulate the decision and their support for it.
  
• Publish the decision and track progress toward implementation.
  

Consensus does take time; however it can yield high commitment and help you make more profits. Be careful not to view consensus as the only method of making decisions. In a highly productive environment, about 20% of decisions should be made by consensus.

Over the next 30 days, experiment with using consensus to make a decision. I think you will find a higher level of commitment to these decisions and you may get some excellent and unusual solutions.