The definition of consensus is “Shared Thought.” It means that prior to making a decision, all participants believe their point of view has been heard and all underlying questions and issues have been fully explored. The result? A final outcome that results in “buy in” from all involved.
Build Consensus
Consensus building works best with groups of four to six people. In preparation for the meeting, prep your group. Present the problem or challenge prior to the meeting to give colleagues time to think about it. This allows everyone time to consider options and generate ideas.
To enable unbiased and fair contributions from all participants, set up small group discussions. Encourage pairs to discuss the pros and cons of their ideas. Some consensus models suggest slowly adding people to the small group, and having the third bring his/her ideas and discuss all the ideas together. Repeat with a fourth member.
Take this time to seek clarification and examine potential conflicts. Pin point what each person’s understanding of the issue is. While brainstorming solutions, discuss all options. Allow time for queries and clarifications giving all participants the opportunity to express their opinions. From there, try to develop a short list.
Decision Making
Once all members have had the opportunity to participate in brainstorming, and a short list has been developed, call the group together to make a decision.
• Discuss the pros and cons of all proposals.
• Restate the issue at hand and build commonality by deciding on the key criteria the end option will have.
• If there are disagreements, find points of agreement, and re-examine the smaller points of contention.
• Rank the ideas on the short list according to the group established criteria. Ultimately allow the group members who are the most impacted and concerned with the outcome to make the final decision.
Consensus Check
After the decision has been made, double check. Does everyone support the decision? Ensure that once a decision is reached, it is followed by an action plan.
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