COLLABORATION MODULE #4 Making Decisions Collaboratively An online module developed by Pivot Learning Partners for the West Contra Costa Unified School District

This module is one of a series of six that focus on the foundational skills and tools for collaboration: Setting and Using Norms Assigning Roles in Meetings Planning Good Meetings Making Decisions Collaboratively Establishing Goals and Milestones Giving and Receiving Feedback ABOUT THIS MODULE 4

More about this module Each module includes a PowerPoint presentation a Quick Guide on the topic one or more tools or templates videos of teams at work (not included in some modules). Individuals or groups can use these modules in flexible ways, and depending on the group’s choices, they can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour to complete. ABOUT THIS MODULE 4

Groups working together have to make decisions There is no one best way to make decisions. Teams get in trouble when they try to use one method in all situations they aren’t clear with each other about how a particular decision is going to be made. If you are working on this module as a team, take time now to discuss the various ways you make decisions in your school or on your team. Is there anything about this you might you want to change? 4

Having clear strategies for making decisions makes group work go more smoothly helps people take on difficult issues raises the quality of the work the team can accomplish. Can you name some ways that having clear processes for making decisions can accomplish these goals? What other benefits do you see? 4

Make some notes on your current practice List the strategies for making decisions you currently use. How effective is your team at using this strategy? List some additional strategies you could use but currently don’t. Are there situations in which this new strategy might help you be more effective? Keep your notes—we’ll come back to this later! 4

Five ways to make decisions: Voting, or majority rules Consensus, which means not that everyone agrees but that everyone can live with the decision Executive, in which the person in charge decides Consultative, in which the person in charge decides after getting input from others Delegation, in which someone—often the person with the most expertise—is empowered to make the decision. To read a longer description of each approach, refer to the Quick Guide included in this module. 4

Return to your notes on your current practice What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these five approaches? Which of these five ways to make decisions do you use now? Which ones might you want to incorporate into your practice? Why or why not? To read a longer description of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, refer to the Quick Guide included in this module. 4

Questions to think about Can you think of a decision that your team made recently that might have come out differently (better or worse) if a different strategy had been used? Why do you think so? 4

ScenarioRole play: Assign roles. Everyone should take on a role that is different than who they actually are. What happens next? (five minutes) Stop: Now, discuss. What should happen next? Who needs to change to get there? 4

Agreeing about how to decide What agreements do you want to make about how decisions will be made on your team? How will you make this decision? (Hint: there is no one right way to do this—but do be clear about what you are doing, and why.) 4

Thank You!