Group Decision-Making

C.U.B.E. for Conflict

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Best Practices for Group-Decision Making

REATE CONTEXT & OBJECTIVES

  • Focus the conversation: What is being decided today. Get clear on the objective for each topic.
  • Be soft on the person and hard on the problem. Care about them personally, but also name the elephant in the room and challenge directly.
  • Agree on agenda, timing, and facilitation. 
  • Discuss how the decision will be made and when. Who is deciding and being consulted?

C

  • Be curious: Dig for underlying interests and priorities for all parties. Draw the quiet people out.
  • See disagreement and differing priorities as an opportunity to learn. In groups, facilitate so that people are listening to understand each other. 
  • Synthesize: List shared priorities and differences.

NDERSTAND EACH OTHER’S WORLDS… THEIR WORLD FIRST

U

RAINSTORM OPTIONS

B

  • Clarify you are brainstorming, not making decisions. 
  • Identify the various parts of a possible solution. Use fillers rather than actual numbers, e.g. we spend $x on…
  • Co-create many possible solutions to expand the pie.
  • Expand ideas: Do not narrow into one solution.
  • Come up with 2-3 good solutions or “packages” that cover the range of the tradeoffs and differing priorities.

ND WITH COMMITMENTS

  • Decide and let people know what you are prioritizing that led to the decision.
  • Escalate if different priorities lead to a lack of alignment. Compromising too early can lead to suboptimal decisions for everyone.
  • Be obstinate about your vision & priorities, flexible about tactics. 
  • Move the ball down the field with small steps.
  • Ensure everyone fully commits even if they disagree. 
  • Set up a plan to socialize the decision, inform people, and act.

E

Common Mistakes for Group-Decision Making

REATE CONTEXT & OBJECTIVES

  • Trying to get to agreement too quickly (1 step forward, 2 steps back).
  • No agenda, timeline or facilitator.
  • Unilateral moves including setting up an agenda without a discussion.
  • Being unclear about what is being decided and what has already been decided.
  • Not clarifying who will make the decision and when.

C

NDERSTAND EACH OTHER’S WORLDS… THEIR WORLD FIRST

U

  • Expecting to be heard before hearing the other person.
  • Solving problems based on solidified positions rather than underlying interests.
  • Believing you understand what's important to them without confirming your assumptions.
  • Not empathizing with their perspective, especially when you disagree.
  • Not including impacted stakeholders.
  • Focusing on solutions before understanding everyone’s interests & priorities.
  • Not drawing the quiet people out.

RAINSTORM OPTIONS

B

  • Getting too focused on your solution, rather than asking what you are missing in your idea.
  • Throwing out ideas without caveating that you are just exploring.
  • Focusing on the first solution that seems the best rather than fully exploring possibilities.
  • Judging, critiquing or ignoring ideas while brainstorming. 
  • Not gently correcting when others critique or judge. 

ND WITH COMMITMENTS

  • If you are the decision-maker, it’s a mistake not to clarify your priorities and why you are making the decision. 
  • Compromising to a suboptimal decision rather than escalating together.
  • Not being clear about the decision, especially if it’s unpopular. 
  • Accepting unrealistic commitments.
  • Forgetting that collecting additional data and setting up a next meeting will move the ball forward.

E

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