Team Decision Making-Part Two

Six common methods of team decision making exist.  They are:  lack of response, authority rule, minority rule, majority rule, consensus, and unanimous consent.  One method is NOT always better than another.  Each method is useful at the appropriate time.  Each method affects the way the group will work together (the storming and norming phases).  It is important that the leader guide the team members to choose a decision-making method which appropriately fits the amount of time available, the history of the group, the nature of the task, and the work climate.

Lack of response is the most common method.  Someone suggests an idea, but before someone else comments on it, another person suggests something different. Authority rule functions under command decisions.  This method is efficient, but often results in lack of ownership from the team.  Decision by minority rule is something everyone has experienced.  A few members dominate the discussion and force decisions. Decision by majority rule involves voting.  This may be used to break a deadlock, but a high percentage of decisions made this way end up not being implemented.  A decision put into action by a 6-4 vote, is most likely doomed. Use of consensus to make decisions is very effective. Time is taken to ensure everyone understands the goals and decision.  Even if some members don’t share the majority view, they clearly understand it and have agreed to support it.  The final method is decision by unanimous consent.  True unanimous consent means that every team member truly agrees on the decision as being the best they could develop.  To achieve this takes an incredible amount of time.

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Team Decision Making-Part One

Excellent team decisions are based on communication, respect, and group dynamic skills.  Teams that are high performing know that collaboration leads to better decisions and the ability to solve problems more effectively. But put people together for the first few times, and difficulties will arise.  There are generally acknowledged stages of team development.  B. W. Tuckman identified these four as being:  forming, storming, norming, and performing.

In the forming stage, people are learning about each other.  Rules of the team may be laid out, and the goal to be achieved is clarified.  In the storming phase, activity abounds.  People are vying for “lead” of the team.  While it may look like chaos from the outside, this phase is very important to the team’s future functioning. The norming phase demonstrates that rules have been plied, then defined and agreed upon.  Assignments have been made according to people’s strengths.  In the final phase, performing, the team moves forward.   The goal of the team is achieved, with members acknowledging that it took a group effort.

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