Build Consensus
When working in a group it is important that all members of the group play a role. While the majority rules concept works for our nation, in smaller groups it can leave members feeling slighted or out of the loop. Consensus is a strategy that involves everyone playing a role in the decision making of the group. It does not require unanimity; however, should represent extensive, if not comprehensive support. In order for this to be successful it is important to be open to compromise!
Why build consensus on your team? There can be extraordinary energy in a group of impassioned people working on a common goal. Consensus building resolves conflict, creates, and builds workable solutions. Conflict requires an enormous amount of energy that might be better used towards a common good. It also undermines progress towards the goal. When the conflict is thoroughly processed, it can create a better, more lasting and viable, solution.
One of the major benefits of ThinkTank is its capacity to move a team toward consensus. But how exactly can you do this with your own team?
Identify Areas of Disagreement
Before you can resolve conflicts, you must be able to pinpoint areas of disagreement. The immediate results that ThinkTank provides makes this easy; which is why its wise to vote early. This allows you to focus on resolving conflicting opinions rather than rehashing issues the team already agrees on. When viewing voting results in Alternative Analysis, disagreement can be spotted most easily using a statistic called standard deviation (STD) and the vote spread that appears in the Table View. These two features show the same data in different forms: namely, do people agree or disagree on an items’ rating? You should be aware, however, that standard deviation becomes less reliable when a team is small. If you have fewer than five participants, be very cautious about the importance you place on standard deviation. In this case, the vote spread may be a more reliable way to gauge consensus.
ThinkTank includes another measure called the Coefficient of Concordance that is visually displayed in the Alterative Analysis results view. The Average column appears in green if participants are in consensus and red if they disagree. The colors on the matrix allow you to see instantly the items that should be discussed.
Conduct a Focused Discussion
When you have identified an area of disagreement, you can then focus discussion on it. If the topic is relatively minor, or if the participants are willing, you can conduct the discussion verbally. However, you can also use ThinkTank for you focused discussion by creating a new Categorizer activity and reap the benefits of anonymity and parallel input.
Use Iterative Voting
Use the focused discussion to get participants plenty of time to lobby for their favorite ideas in a positive way. Then allow them to select up to half of the items on the list. Select the items you are keeping and press the Transfer Data button to move them to another Alternative Analysis or Rank Order Vote activity. Iterate the entire process until the list is reduced to your desired number.
Cautions Regarding Consensus
In conclusion, consider a few cautions regarding consensus. Not every decision requires complete consensus; often a high majority is sufficient. This is especially true if the purpose of your evaluation is not to make a decision but merely a recommendation. You may want to discuss with the group what the acceptable level of consensus is for a given activity.
Furthermore, not all disagreements are resolvable. Perhaps the Manufacturing people know that a proposal has got to get done, but the Finance team know there is no money to do it. In this case, ThinkTank can help clarify the issue so you can reach closure in a constructive fashion. You will have gained a complete statement of each side’s position, and can pass the decision onwards or upwards.