Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Evan Carmichael Top Header
Share for a Cause









Master Your Game: Group Decision-Making Processes

Guest post by: Jacque Small

Article Overview: You've outlined a tight agenda and designed an effective meeting process. The next step is to move discussion forward through efficient and effective decision-making. This article explains six decision rules and their appropriate uses.

Free Download - Getting to Gratitude By Jacque Small
Name: Email:

Master Your Game: Group Decision-Making Processes

You've outlined a tight agenda and designed an effective meeting process. The next step is to move discussion forward through efficient and effective decision-making. This article explains six decision rules and their appropriate uses.

The Need for Decisions

In meetings, the point-of-decision is the point that separates thinking from action. From this point onward, reality will be reflected by the decision, and from now on objections are officially out of line.*

Decision-making involves these four distinct steps:

• Ending the discussion
• Clarifying the proposal
• Polling the group members
• Using the group's decision rule to reach a final decision.

A decision rule allows you to move forward. It answers the question "How do we know when we've made a decision?" There are more choices for the decision rule other than "what the chair says" and "by a show of hands." Here are some of them.


Six Decision Rules Recommendations

Depending on the nature of the topic and the importance, you may choose to have a standing decision rule for all decisions or a rule for each topic.

Whatever your choice, it's important that the group formally decides how to make decisions. This ensures that everyone knows what he or she is committing to.
1. Spontaneous agreement
Why: Fast, easy
When: Used when discussion isn't vital or the issue is not complex.

2. Person in charge decides
Why: Fast and accountability is clear, however may not be supported if the opinions of the group are not taken into account.
When: Low stake decisions are a good opportunity to practice using this rule. Use caution for high stakes decisions. Unfortunately, group members may say what they believe their boss wants to hear and may not express their true opinions.

3. Compromise
Why: A middle position is attained that incorporates ideas from both sides. Everyone wins and everyone also loses.
When: Used when two opposing solutions are proposed. The optimum strategy for this situation may be to re-open the discussion with an experienced facilitator to look for a more inclusive both/and solution. This will take more time and the success of implementation will be significantly increased.

4. Majority Vote. Usually taken by a show of hands or a secret ballot.
Why: Fast. Quality of the decision is increased by a full discussion of the issue taking into account other people's opinions.
When: Used when there are two distinct options.

5. Unanimous Agreement
Why: Collaborative effort that builds buy-in and a high commitment to implementation. May be time consuming.
When: Used when the importance of the decision being made is worth the time it will take to gain consensus.

6. Gradients of Agreement. After the proposal is clarified, group members are asked to evaluate the proposal on a predetermined scale that would indicate the degree of support. A predetermined scale might be as follows:
5 Total support with no concerns.
4 Support with minor concerns.
3 Support with significant concerns. Can live with it.
2 Disagree with it, but will go with majority.
1 Block. Cannot support it or be held accountable for implementation.

7. Why: Based on the dispersion of the votes, the person in charge will either make the decision or continue the discussion. In the case of a unanimous agreement, the decision rule might be that support is required at the top two levels by all members to proceed with a decision.
When: Used to assist the person in charge to make a decision or to modify the unanimous agreement rule.


Rate Your Decision-Making Effectiveness

How are decisions made in your meetings?

• Does one person make all the decisions, or is there a sharing of authority?
• Does the group generally make good decisions at meetings?
• Do we tend to end topics before getting into new ones?
• Do we work hard to make collaborative decisions that we can all live with?
• Are we clear when a decision has been made?


I have observed and participated in many meetings where the difference between having issues resolved or stalled was influenced by the way decision-making was handled. Introduce a decision rule to your next meeting and let me know how it affects your meeting dynamics. I would love to hear your success stories.

Wishing you effective meetings,
Jacque Small

*Adapted from a Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, Sam Kaner, Lenny Lind, Catherine Toldi, Sarah Fisk and Duane Berger

Related Articles
  Master Your Game: Introduction
  Software Localization vs. Game Localization
  I Hate MBAs/Redux
  Benefit from Using Business Simulation Games and Training Materials
  Changing the Game

Home > Business-Coach > Jacque Small > Master Your Game Group DecisionMaking Processes
Article Tags: decision rules, effective meeting

About the Author: Jacque Small
RSS for Jacque's articles - Visit Jacque's website

Jacque Small founded Catalyst Business Coaching to assist business owners to have the kind of business (and life!) they desire—a profitable business with flexible time doing work they enjoy. Jacque provides One-on-One Coaching services as well as the team development program called Core ConversationsTM. Jacque knows that to achieve superior business results, it is not good enough for the leader to be the only communicator. It is also critical that team members become competent communicators. Core Conversations works collaboratively with the team leader to build strong trusting relationships among team members. And it provides support and training to increase the operating capacity of the whole team. By attending these programs, Jacque’s clients have discovered that: • Work becomes easier • Work is more fun • It is easier to attract and retain quality people • Productivity and profits increase • Management works fewer hours Jacque has a certificate in Executive Coaching, is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has a Master of Arts in economics and finance. To have the business you truly desire, find out more about Jacque’s services at www.catalystcoach.ca

Click here to visit Jacque's website
Dashed Line

More from Jacque Small
Master Your Game Meeting Effectiveness
Resolving Your Business Finance Emotional Hot Buttons
Traing Less or More
Master Your Game Expectations That Generate Results
What does Personal Development have to do with Leadership


Related Forum Posts
The Game Inventor's Guidebook The Game Inventor's Guidebook - by Brian Tinsman, 2002 I checked this out of my local library today and its pretty interesting... didn't address what I wanted to know, which was how to actually design an online gaming system (indeed this doesn't cover online games at all), but for board games etc. it's pretty good. Here's the TOC: 1. How they diid it: Trivial Pursuit Magic, the Gathering Dungeons & Dragons Pokemon Trading Card Game Interview with an inventor Interview with a publisher 2. How the industry works 1. What's in it for you 2. How new games happen 3. Anatomy of a publisher 4. Markets for games 3. Games and companies you should know 1. Mass market games you should know 2. Mass market companies you should know 3. Hobby games you should know 4. Hobby companies you should know 5. American specialty games and companies you should know 6. European specialty games and companies you should know 4. Self publishing 1. What am I getting into 2. Before you print 3. After you print 5. Selling a game step by step 1. How to invent a game 2. Game design 3. Game development 4. Targeting publishers 5. Before you submit 6. Eight submission strategies 7. Contacting publishers 8. Protecting your property 9. What to do if they don't say yes 10. What to do if they do say yes! 11. The game industry's dirty little secret 6. Resources and examples Publishers and mnufacturers Distributors Brokers Game conventions and trade shows Industry publications Sample query letter Sample record of disclosure Sample licensing agreement Sample option agreement
MLM Master Distributor Needed MLM Master Distributor Needed - Hi, We are launching a brand new MLM company this month and we need to bring on a Master Distributor to launch the company. If you have built a large downline, we want to talk with you asap. This position will be at the forefront of the company, and we are considering giving this position overrides on all company sales. Note, this is a one-time offer to interview with us as our initial Master Distributor positions will no longer be available. If you believe you are capable of helping please contact me here: skipsanzeri@yahoo.com Please send along any detail about downlines you’ve built including size etc. Thanks Skip
Importing from Russia Importing from Russia - Hi Master - should you not have some idea of what you want to import? This would make the search easier to find someone.
BNI Groups - do they work? BNI Groups - do they work? - Hi Lesley, From the members in my Mastermind Group I've heard a number of positive and negative things about BNI Groups. Just like a Mastermind Group, it all depends on who the people are. If the personalities fit and the members can add value to your business it can be worth checking out. The best bet is to go to a meeting as a guest to get a sense of who is in the group and if it is for you. It doesn't cost you anything except a little extra sleep the morning of. Good luck!
Re: On Which Social Media Sites Are You Most Active? Re: On Which Social Media Sites Are You Most Active? - I must respectfully disagree completely with that premise Evan. When speaking of a "Small Group", we are talking abotu a "Mastermind Group". As we all know, such a group is instrumental to success, online or off. The groups can grow quite large too. My group currently has 35 members, but several are actively participating and sharing content.


Recommended Article for You close

  Master Your Game: Introduction

Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.



Featured Article


Bottom Footer
Share for a Cause












Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

Ways to Improve Your Landing Page Conversions

Anger Solutions at Work: Why Customers Get Angry

How to Sell to the Price Driven Customer

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.