What Can I do to Improve Decision Making at a Meeting?
There is no perfect approach to decision making. However, you can improve the final decision by
- Ensuring all facts have been identified.
- Clearly defining problems or issues.
- Inviting outside viewpoints as well as hearing out member viewpoints.
- Identifying alternatives so team members know what they are voting for.
Tell Me More
It may help to improve decision making by also watching the following:
Agreement on the decision-making process. Too often, problems arise after the fact. The team assumed that the final decision would be handled democratically, in an election—at best, via consensus—while the meeting chair intended to make the final decision himself or herself. In the team leader’s mind, the purpose of the meeting was to generate a variety of viewpoints.
Clarity about the group’s authority. Was the group formed to put together an action plan and then see it implemented or was it only assembled to accumulate the information others would need to make such decisions?
Ownership of the decision. This will depend on the first step. If the group will be responsible for the final decision, then they need to review the various solutions to choose the best. If the group also has responsibility for implementation of their solution, then they need to go over the details and decide what actions they will take. All members of the group must understand the plan. Likewise, interested parties.