Decision making occurs at every meeting and it is important to understand the steps in effective group decision making.
1. Define the Problem
In many cases there is more than one problem to solve so issues must be clearly defined and separated with each issue being addressed one at a time.
2. Ask for Alternatives
All suggestions should be accepted without any criticism from the group. All participants should feel a part of the group and that they will be listened too.
3. As a group explore the pros/cons
Explore what the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative.
4. Choose the Alternative
Based on what you have learnt as a group through the discussion process a decision needs to be made. It is vital for success in the solution that every member has input in the decision.
5. Evaluate the outcome
This step is to be completed once the action has been implemented.
A variety of strategies can be employed to give team members input into planning and decision making. If team members feel that they have not contributed to the planning process it will be hard for them to take ownership of the operational strategies that will follow.
Below is a video that looks at 8 steps to making your meeting more effective
In your experience with meetings have you ever followed these steps or similar when addressing issues? Did it work effectively and if not do you think implementing a process like this would be effective?
Meetings that I have been involved in have never actually followed these exact steps and I actually think that is the problem why most of the time decisions are never made and issues not solved. I will be using these steps as a basis for the next meeting I attend where an issue arises and implement the process.
ReplyDeleteWithin Meetings that i have been involved with, these steps haven't been specifically followed. Some of them, such as everyone having a say on their views and beliefs on a topic without being criticised are seen within the meetings, although nothing has really come of the suggestions such as a solution or evaluation, even though it was said that the issues were going to be addressed. I think if these steps were applied in meetings, a lot more would come out of it.
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ReplyDeleteRecent meetings that I have attended have not had an agenda and have I felt that decisions have been made by a few before they got to the meeting. I felt that other people at the meeting were there to rubber stamp the decision. Unfortunately this is how groups loose members.
ReplyDeleteThe video has some really good ideas to make meetings more effective.