Consensus Decision Making 2014 Leadership Summit

10/4/14

Consensus Decision Making

Eneid A. Francis Pontchartrain (LA) Chapter Southern Area Director

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

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10/4/14

What is consensus? * A decision reached by the members of a group that everyone can agree on, or at least live with * Does not mean everyone agrees with the decision * True consensus involves “meeting everyone’s needs” Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

What is consensus? Cont’d

* Consensus is a decision that as a group member: • You can live with, • You will support your colleagues in implementing, and • Your will do nothing to impede implementation of.

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

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10/4/14

Consensus is not

* Unanimity

* Majority vote

* Compromise

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

Consensus decision making is * Consensus is the outcome of a consensus decision-­‐making process. * Creative and dynamic approach for reaching an agreement among all members of a group

* A means of reaching a recommendation where the input of everyone is sought and carefully considered Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

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Consensus decision making is

* Fundamental right of consensus decision making: • For everyone involved to be able to express themselves in his or her own words and of his or her own free will

* Fundamental responsibility of consensus decision making: • To ensure that everyone has the right to speak and be heard Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

Necessary elements

1. A group of people willing to work together, 2. A problem or issue that requires a decision by the group, 3. Trust that there is a solution, 4. Perseverance to find the truth, and 5. Communal discernment.

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

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10/4/14

Participants must have 1. Mutual respect for one another.

2. Willingness to listen to others and see their perspectives.

3. Willingness to share your own ideas but not insist they are the best ones.

4. Commitment to reaching a mutually agreeable outcome.

5. Willingness to accept decisions that you may not totally agree with, but can live with.

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Why use consensus decision making vs. another method?

Voting * * * *

Competitive Chooses one alternative Win-­‐Lose situation Quick

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Consensus

* * * *

Co-­‐operative Synthesizes many diverse ideas Win-­‐Win situation Takes time

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

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Benefits of consensus decision-­‐making * Inclusive participation engages and empowers the group * Requires a commitment to work together and increases cooperation * Equalizes the distribution of power in a group * Can create better decisions that are more representative of the larger community * Creates more ownership and commitment

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

Benefits of consensus decision-­‐making Cont’d * Significantly decreases the possibility that a minority will feel that a decision was imposed on them; and * Safeguards against uninformed decision making, “rubber-­‐stamping” of decisions, coercion, self-­‐ interest, mistrust and half-­‐hearted decisions; * Results in more effective implementation because the entire group takes action on the project or plan Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

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Weighting Process 1. Proposals are presented 2. Participants give each proposal an initial rating

3. Participants share their reasons for each rating

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

Weighting Process Cont’d

4. Group discusses and records the advantages and disadvantages of each proposal 5. Each participant gives his or her final rating.

• “0” No Opinion -­‐ No longer an option

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

7

10/4/14

Rating the Proposals: A, B, & C RATING THE PROPOSALS: A, B, & C

+3

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

-3

Very Strongly in Favor

Strongly in Favor

Slightly in Favor

No Opinion

Slightly Resistant

Strongly Resistant

Very Strongly Resistant

Proposal 1: Initial Rating Response _______ (Prior to assembly discussion)

Final Rating Response______ (After assembly discussion)

Proposal 2: Initial Rating Response _______ (Prior to assembly discussion)

Final Rating Response______ (After assembly discussion)

Proposal 3: Initial Rating Response _______ (Prior to assembly discussion)

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Final Rating Response______ (After assembly discussion)

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

Tallying the results * Ratings for each proposal are tallied and the average rating for each proposal is determined * Steps: 1. Multiply the rating by the number of participants giving the rating 2. Add the results 3. Divide the sum by the total number of participants (15 in the example) 4. Result is the average Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

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10/4/14

Tallying the results

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Tallying the Proposal Ratings TALLYING THE RATINGS: PROPOSALS A, B, & C

Proposals

+3

+2

+1

-1

-2

-3

Total

A

B

C

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

9

10/4/14

Decision * Minimum average rating of +1.5 -­‐ +2 is required for consideration * Average rating of +1.5 or higher is not automatically the decision * Participants who are still at -­‐2 or -­‐3 will have to be given an additional opportunity to explain their position * Proposal with the highest rating will be accepted as the group’s decision.

Effecting Change Through the Power of Friendship and Service

Leadership by Design: Listening, Learning, Leading

10

RATING THE PROPOSALS: A, B, & C

+3

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

-3

Very Strongly in Favor

Strongly in Favor

Slightly in Favor

No Opinion

Slightly Resistant

Strongly Resistant

Very Strongly Resistant

Proposal 1: Initial Rating Response _______ (Prior to assembly discussion)

Final Rating Response______ (After assembly discussion)

Proposal 2: Initial Rating Response _______ (Prior to assembly discussion)

Final Rating Response______ (After assembly discussion)

Proposal 3: Initial Rating Response _______ (Prior to assembly discussion)

Final Rating Response______ (After assembly discussion)

TALLYING THE RATINGS: PROPOSALS A, B, & C

Proposals A

B

C

+3

+2

+1

-1

-2

-3

Total