Decision by Consensus

Decisions by committee get a bad rap. Decisions by consensus are usually characterized as a lowest common denominator compromise. And, oftentimes that is true, but not always. And, it can be a time saver.

When you have a decision that involves multiple perspectives, and those perspectives have a vote in the decision, it’s important to understand their objectives and their viewpoints.

If the objective of the decision is not agreed upon or understood by all the decision’s perspectives, it is hard to imagine that they will come to a consensus on the most optimal solution. Everyone involved must thoroughly understand what is being decided, and the objective, or desired outcome, of that decision.

Many times, usually because people aren’t listening, the various stakeholders in a decision don’t really understand each other’s position. Each person is so busy selling his viewpoint that he doesn’t take the time to truly listen to other’s viewpoints. We’ve all been in meetings where an opinion has been oversold – everyone agrees with the speaker, but he keeps going on and on. One of the key messages in any sales training is the concept of shutting up and listening. It’s not hard to talk yourself out of a sale. Lots of people are uncomfortable with silence, but you must stop talking long enough to listen to others. You might just find that there is a consensus and you can proceed with the implementation of the group’s decision.

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Fast & Easy Solutions to our Problems

The book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcom Gladwell speaks to the appeal of snap decisions made by our “unconscious computer”. As I mentioned in earlier posts, I believe a more deliberate, thorough approach leads to a better decision.

Why does the snap decision hold such appeal? Why do we have such a strong desire for a speedy outcome? Have we become lazy?

I think that the generation reared on television and movies (mine, for sure) has come to expect easy and fast solutions. No problem is so large that it can not be neatly resolved in 3 hours or less. Crimes are routinely solved in an hour, less if you take out the commercials. It’s very rare to watch meticulous analysis and planning in movies or television shows (how dull – I wouldn’t be entertained either). Even though adults know this is just entertainment, I believe it has an effect on how we view and approach decisions in our lives. It certainly has an effect on children. The entertainment industry tends to send contradictory messages. They downplay the negative effects of violence and crass behavior in the media. They say they merely reflect what is already out in society rather than influence behavior. However, they tell their customers a very different story. Their customers hear how incredibly effective advertising is in shaping our buying behavior. It seems to me that they can’t have it both ways. We expect things to be resolved quickly and easily – no work required – because we have been conditioned to expect that through our exposure to that behavior in our national babysitter – the media.

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