Decision Making
How does it work?
Make decisions quicker and effective.
Decision-Making is a combination of 2 practical tools to be able to discuss a decision and make it.
Decision Maker allows you to find the best and most supported team decisions with criteria of available information, efficiency and inclusiveness.
Decision-Maker is a key tool to achieve the best possible decisions for the project in any given situation, and above all, that the team fully supports those decisions once they have been made.
Before using this tool, you should analyze the following recommendations:
- Involvement. First, assess whether it is a situation where you need to be personally involved or where you can delegate.
- Evaluate the information available. Data, facts, urgency, required expertise, limitations, what is it negotiable and its potential impact.
- You are aware of possible conflicts of interest in decision-making.
- Ensure the support and commitment of all team members once the decision is made.
- Feel free to acknowledge possible errors in the decision and take the team back to the decision table to make any necessary adjustments.
- Take full responsibility as a team leader for the outcome of the decision, regardless of the method chosen and the decision itself.
- Communicate the above to your team before starting the decision-making process.
Unilateral – Efficient – Focused on the leader
Description: The leader makes the decision unilaterally and communicates it to the team.
This style gives the leader full control of the decision and generally leaves no room for negotiation.
It is used frequently by leaders with a style-oriented to control, detail and efficiency.
When to use:
- Sufficiently Informed. In emergencies under time pressure but only when the leader has the necessary experience or knowledge.
- In urgent matters with a junior team that lacks experience or knowledge (unstable conditions) and when the survival of the project is at stake.
- When it is a non-negotiable top-down decision where the framework and context cannot be openly shared.
Risks and recommendation:
- Beware of the “hero” syndrome: the exclusive use of this approach by a leader will not support the team development and will quickly create frustration or disconnection from the team members.
- There is a high probability that team members will not commit or support the decision.
Consultative – Inclusive – Focused on the leader
Description: The leader requests inputs from his team members, however, the final decision will always rely on the leader.
This style allows for tight control over the decision while engaging the team, seeking and gathering their views and inputs.
When to use:
- If the leader does not have the experience and knowledge required to decide.
- If consensus decisions fall short in time and the urgency warrants it.
- To incentivize greater participation from an already experienced team that is not yet mature enough for a consensus approach.
Risks and recommendations:
- If the leader does not clearly explain that he is the ultimate owner of the decision, he can open the door to lengthy negotiations and debates that dilute the quality of the decision.
- The quality of the inputs can be low if the goal and the framework are not established (what to decide, deadline, limitations, budget, resources, negotiation space.)
- All team members must be in a position to provide quality input, otherwise, the leader can create frustration.
DECISION-DISCUSSION
Decision-Discussion is an agile tool that allows you to evaluate, individually or as a team, the benefits and harms of a decision.
- Decision: The decision in question should go to the centre, posed in a simple question, but with the basic information available.
- Agree: To the right the members who are in favour of carrying out the proposed decision.
- Disagree: On the left, those members who say NO to carry out the proposed decision.
- PROs (Points in favour). At the top are the arguments in favour of the decision.
- CONs (Points against). At the bottom are the arguments against the decision.
Recommendations:
Provide detailed information well in advance of the discussion.
The questions allow you to test the strength of the argument, but also to find common ground between both parties.
Whether the decision is by vote, consultation, or consensus, a discussion should seek to create empathy within the group, not division.
Decision-Making is a combination of 2 practical tools to be able to discuss a decision and make it.
Decision-Discussion allows a quick and informed discussion of decision making, combining quadrants in which they oppose and those that support the decision, as well as the arguments for and against.
Decision-Discussion is an agile tool that allows you to evaluate, individually or as a team, the benefits and harms of a decision.
- Decision: The decision in question should go to the centre, posed in a simple question, but with the basic information available.
- Agree: To the right the members who are in favour of carrying out the proposed decision.
- Disagree: On the left, those members who say NO to carry out the proposed decision.
- PROs (Points in favour). At the top are the arguments in favour of the decision.
- CONs (Points against). At the bottom are the arguments against the decision.
Recommendations:
Provide detailed information well in advance of the discussion.
The questions allow you to test the strength of the argument, but also to find common ground between both parties.
Whether the decision is by vote, consultation, or consensus, a discussion should seek to create empathy within the group, not division.
HOW TO USE IT AND INTERPRET IT?
Step 1.
Define the decision to take, parameters, scope and limitations, analyzing the recommendations already given.
- If It requires efficiency, and you have enough information: Unilateral Decision.
- If It requires efficiency and you do not have enough information: Decision to vote.
- If It requires inclusiveness and the decision-makers do not have enough information: Submit it for consultation.
- If It requires inclusiveness and the decision-makers have enough information: Consensus.
Step 2.
Individually or as a team present the decision in question using the discussion tool:
- Who agrees?
- What are the pros (Pros)? Are they realistic?
- What are the points against (Cons)? What can go wrong?
- Who disagrees?
- What are the pros (Pros)? How can they be improved?
- What are the cons (Cons)? Are they really bad?
Tip: Try not to use the same arguments, but in opposite versions, when comparing pros vs cons.
Step 3.
Discuss in 3 rounds of 5-minute interventions in groups of max. 10 persons.
Step 4.
Choose the decision method and inform your team, and proceed to:
- Unilateral Decision: Make the decision and announce it with the information available to support it.
- The decision to vote: Gather your entire team, present the disputed decision and submit it to a vote where the majority will have the final decision.
- Consultation: Gather your best-informed team members, discuss, ask for input and make the final decision as a leader.
- Consensus: Gather your entire team, present the decision to be made, discuss, and facilitate the final decision for everyone.
Wrong decisions can destroy team morale, therefore, developing effective decision-making habits becomes critical for leaders.
Each of the styles presents risks depending on the situation at hand. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the leader to analyse the benefits and risks, and always maintain responsibility for the agreed decision, regardless of the process used and request justifiable adjustments when necessary.
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