Facilitating Collaborative Decision Making Anne 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 maximum appropriate involvement in decision making  A list of factors to consider when determining 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 stakeholder analysis  A plan for determining the level of involvement for decision-making in a current work situation

All information in this presentation is taken with permission from Interaction Associates Facilitative Leadership course.

The Dilemma Benefits of Involving Others in Decisions Benefits of Involving Others in Decisions  Buy-in  Stronger relationships  Additional perspectives and information  May result in a better decision Risks of Involving Others in Decisions  Time consuming  Getting agreement can be difficult  Limited information- others may not see the whole picture  Loss of control

Maximum Appropriate Involvement is Key Involvement begins with defining which decisions need to be made, and who should be involved in making them Involvement begins with defining which decisions need to be made, and who should be involved in making them Complete worksheet Complete worksheet

Key Stakeholders Any person (or group of people) who: Any person (or group of people) who:  Is responsible for the final decision.  Is in a position to implement or block the decision.  Is likely to be affected by the outcome of the decision.  Has information or expertise.

Decide and Announce Leader makes the decision and announces it to stakeholders Leader makes the decision and announces it to stakeholders Lowest involvement, lowest ownership Lowest involvement, lowest ownership

Gather Input from Individuals and Decide Leader asks selected individuals for input, and then the leader makes the decision. Leader asks selected individuals for input, and then the leader makes the decision. Low involvement, low ownership Low involvement, low ownership

Gather Input from the Team and Decide Leader asks team members to share their ideas in a meeting. The leader makes the decision after hearing from the team. Leader asks team members to share their ideas in a meeting. The leader makes the decision after hearing from the team. Moderate involvement, moderate ownership Moderate involvement, moderate ownership

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

Consensus: THE RULES Every time you use this as your decision- making method, before you begin you must: Every time you use this as your decision- making method, before you begin you must: Define consensus Define consensus Specify how the decision will be made if you are unable to reach consensus within a specified time (the fallback) Specify how the decision will be made if you are unable to reach consensus within a specified time (the fallback) Clearly outline constraints Clearly outline constraints

Delegate with Constraints The leader defines the decision to be made in the form of a question, clarifies constraints, and delegates the decision to others. The leader does not alter the decision as long as it adheres to the constraints. The leader defines the decision to be made in the form of a question, clarifies constraints, and delegates the decision to others. The leader does not alter the decision as long as it adheres to the constraints. Highest involvement, highest ownership Highest involvement, highest ownership

Factors to Consider Stakeholder Buy-In Stakeholder Buy-In Importance of Decision Importance of Decision Capability Capability Time Available Information Needed Building Teamwork

What About Voting? Voting is effective when: Voting is effective when:  Speed of decision-making is among the highest of priorities  Stakeholders agree that all options on the table are acceptable and of equal merit In collaborative decision-making, voting is rarely recommended In collaborative decision-making, voting is rarely 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 help think through and complete the worksheets. The other person will act as a coach and help think through and complete the worksheets. Your goal of this exercise is to decide on the level of involvement. You will not make the decision today. Your goal of this exercise is to decide on the level of involvement. You will not make the decision today.

Keys to Your Success Remember that how you make a decision can be as important as the decision itself Remember that how you make a decision can be as important as the decision itself Actively choose a level of involvement for each decision based on the factors to consider Actively choose a level of involvement for each decision based on the factors to consider Most importantly, communicate the level of involvement you are using and why you selected that level of involvement for this decision Most importantly, communicate the level of involvement you are using and why you selected that level of involvement for this decision

Decide and Announce Advantages Advantages  Decision can be made quickly  Leader is in immediate control of the decision  Implementation can begin immediately Disadvantages  May not be the most well-informed decision  Those assigned to carry out the decision may resist  Those affected may be resentful about not having been asked their opinions

Gather Input from Individuals and Decide Advantages Advantages  Leader has more information to make the decision  Increased likelihood that the decision will be carried out  Doesn’t require coordinating a meeting with all players Disadvantages  Some people may feel excluded  Ownership is low  If you don’t choose to use a particular person’s idea, they might feel resentful, and be less likely to provide input next time

Gather Input from the Team and Decide Advantages Advantages  Fosters creative thinking and synergy  Leader has more information to make the decision  People feel included, and therefore are more likely to be committed during implementation Disadvantages  More time consuming  May surface group issues or conflicts  If the decision is in conflict with team input, individuals may resist or sabotage implementation

Consensus Advantages Advantages  High level of support and ownership of the final decision  Group becomes well educated about the decision during the process  Implementation can be easier Disadvantages  Can be very time consuming  Stakeholders may not have the collaborative skills needed to reach agreement  The more individuals involved, the more difficult it becomes to reach consensus

Delegate with Constraints Advantages Advantages  Frees the leader to do other things  Garners highest support  Develops leadership capability in others Disadvantages  Can be very time consuming  Team may lack the skill to make a good decision on their own  Leader has little control or influence over the process