Consensus Decision-Making

In a group decision-making situation, two major concerns are present. First, there is the concern for the adequacy of the decision to be made. Second, there is a concern about degree of commitment once the decision is made. “How good is this decision?” “How many members of this group are behind this decision?” These are the two basic concerns of an effective decision-making group. Moreover, the degree of emphasis that an individual or a group gives to the issues of adequacy and commitment can effectively describe their orientation toward decision-making and toward the kind of decisions they are likely to reach.

A consensus decision-making group expresses a maximum concern for both the adequacy of the decision being made and the level of commitment among group members to the decision that is being made. Other approaches to group decision-making typically assumes that adequacy and commitment are irreconcilable and that a group cannot produce a decision that is at the same time a good one with a high degree of group support.

The consensus decision making group, by contrast, believes that the best decision can be reached if all the resources of a group can be used. Consequently, the group strives for a high level of involvement from all members of the group and sees the group as a good place to make decisions. Members see conflict as a source of new ideas and not something to be avoided. If everyone can be involved in the decision, she believes then not only will the decision be the best one possible–it will also have the greatest degree of support. Genuine consensus will produce the best possible decisions.

Consensus decision-making has a number of advantages over other approaches. The time necessary to reach a decision by consensus will be greater than the time a self-sufficient decision-maker will take. However, over the long run the consensus approach will save time. The unilateral decision maker finds herself making the same decisions over and over while a decision made by consensus will tend to stand up over time. Moreover, once a group has established a pattern of consensus decision- making, its members often find that decisions made later come quicker and easier.