Decisions-by-committee are inherently problematic. They are often dominated by the loudest voice in the room, resulting in unclear authority and prolonged debates that delay resolutions. And worst of all, a major decision is sometimes made without the proper facts informing it.
A common misconception is that gatherings automatically lead to productive outcomes. However, when discussions extend endlessly, reaching a conclusive resolution becomes a daunting task. The key to improving the decision-making equation lies in polling the larger group to gather insights, and then subsequently empowering designated decision-makers to finalize choices. But even when limiting participation to company principals, reaching a decision can be a challenge and conflicts may still arise.
To address these complexities, I have developed a pragmatic five-step structure that enhances group decision-making, promoting efficiency and success. The framework was derived from consulting work I did with large executive teams dedicated to enhancing their strategic decision-making processes. Group decision-making challenges impact every level of an organization, from the top down. By adopting this refined approach, organizations can achieve more effective and streamlined decision-making processes that lead to better outcomes throughout the company.
The Formula
1. Identify Who the Buck Stops With
In the pursuit of effective decision-making, acknowledging the inevitability of dissenting views is critical. Identifying key decision-makers, vested with expertise and authority, becomes paramount in this process, while also designating the ultimate decision authority. This crucial figure carries the weight of the final call.
Tip: When sending meeting invitations, it’s important to remember that the objective is not to appease by inviting unnecessary participants but to ensure meaningful contributions from relevant stakeholders. Value lies in purposeful discussions, not in indiscriminate invitations.
2. Define the Core Problem
Get alignment and agreement on what the singular problem to be solved is. Often people propose initiatives and seek feedback without defining the root problem they are solving. They are starting with a solution instead of the problem.
Don’t pigeon hole the solution yet. Companies waste time trying to solve the wrong problems, or introduce a tangential problem into the debate to muddy the water. If the problem at hand is the location of a new office, do not debate if morale is low or if people need standing desks. These may be factors later, but agreeing on a singular problem will keep the meeting focused. This may be a short step, and it might even be completed before the meeting occurs. But once the singular problem is identified, defined, and agreed upon, it will help the decision-making stay on course for the rest of the meeting.
3. Determine the Influencing Factors
This is where the real debate should occur, and should take up the bulk of the meeting. What issues will affect the decision? What issues will be affected by the decision? What set of considerations (or design principles) form the basis of a good decision? What are we seeking to achieve? Make a list and narrow down the most important ones. Which factors will hold the most weight?
Also debate which factors should NOT influence the final decision. Perhaps you decide that the popular opinion of employees will not be a factor in judging solutions. Perhaps you decide the minority opinion should hold more or less sway in this situation.
Debating the factors (and non-factors) will prevent the loudest voice in the room from becoming the sole influencer. Deliberate, then decide together which criteria you will use to judge the solutions that are yet to come. Again, do NOT offer solutions yet. You are currently setting the criteria for which the solutions will be judged. Stay focused until every factor is heard, weighed, and decided upon.
4. Generate Creative Ideas
This is the brainstorming section. Whiteboard them all. Do not discount any solution as a bad idea (yet). During divergent thinking, it’s about collecting ideas and keeping people in a creative space rather than one where they fear critique. This is the ideal time creative minds can expand the known solutions into something no one has thought of yet.
While condensed and dramatized for the screen, this is the hypothetical point of the movie The Greatest Showman where instead of a permanent building, P.T. Barnum suggests getting cheap land by the docks and erecting a tent to rebuild the circus.
Tip: One effective tool to get people to step out of their narrow mindset is to say, “how might X company in a different industry solve this?”
5. Evaluate Solutions
Each of the solutions are now graded 1-5 by the factors in step two. The highest-rated solution wins. This is quantitative data, not opinion-based, so the loudest voice in the room does not get to bulldoze the meeting and outcome.
You can imagine this structure playing out in many strategic, tactical, and operational decisions. Time will be saved on irrelevant, long-winded debates. Voices in the room will be equalized. The best decisions will be elevated. And the company will have a defense against naysayers. Scoring the solutions based on clear criteria leaves little room for Monday Morning Quarterbacks. If there happens to be a tie, a discussion that gets too heated, or if the group veers away from the agreed upon strategic path to reach the decision, remember that the buck stops with one designated person — and that player needs to be ready to step.
Wrap Up
Implementing collaborative decision-making selectively, and adhering to this systematic approach empowers teams to optimize their time and swiftly reach well-founded conclusions. By deliberately including the right decision makers, actively focusing on the core problem and the key factors influencing it, and quantitatively evaluating potential solutions, organizations can make decisive and informed decisions. Embracing this approach shields teams from the potential pitfalls and frustrations that can arise within the group decision-making process, ensuring a more efficient and effective path to success.
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