Try the Consensus Approach for More Effective Meetings

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  1

  robw28731@...

  06/12/08 | Report as spam

  Sorry..."Robert's Rules of Order"?

  I suppose we've all had to come face-to-face with "The Rules" in the past, and I do commend their seemingly common acceptance throughout civilized society when masses of us are forced into situations where protocol is necessary to support egalitarianism, but...
  Can I see a show of hands as to how many managers walk into a staff meeting with the need to insure "Robert's" standards are maintained?...And being concerned about reaching an "unstable majority"?
  I would trust any manager under my employ would exhibit the leadership expected of them in the responsibility of the position. It's all well and good to obtain a "concensus of opinion" from one's "team" of subordinates, but if the wrong decision is taken because of it, I'm not about to can the whole lot, just the idiot who was put in charge of "managing" the situation.

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  2

  oakye

  06/12/08 | Report as spam

  consensus-style decision making = good?

  I've always thought and heard that consensus-style decision making hampers speed and quick analysis; for a tiny startup, I can see how consensus decisions among founders would be ok... but at some point having everyone chime in to say how they "feel" seems like a lot of hot air. (But then again, I work in Northern California and I've heard non-Californian co-workers observe that it seems to be a regional thing, an over-emphasis on making sure everyone's heard versus sucking it up, listening, trusting, and obeying.) What do you think?

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  CC Holland

  06/13/08 | Report as spam

  Not just NorCal...

  Hi there,
  
  I'm also a Northern California denizen, and while I agree that some of the more "out there" management practices do see to incubate here, what I found interesting when researching this post is that it's not just a "way out there" methodology, and in fact has its own structure and rules of order. It's more than just letting everyone have a say, and turning meetings in to a big sloppy free-for-all. Rather, it's about trying to get the buy-in of as many people as possible, instead of going with simple majority rule and running the risk of having a grumbling, non-productive, possibly even disgruntled minority potentially working at cross-purposes.
  
  I think the idea is more about letting everyone offer input into a decision rather than handing an edict down from high. And yes, in some environments, that clearly won't work. But in a more flexible workplace -- or with a smaller team -- it might be more beneficial than simple majority rule. And of course, Robert's Rules are generally used in very formal (e.g., board meeting) settings -- but the post is more about getting away from the general RR feel, which includes majority vote, and into a more encompassing, inclusive decision-making process.

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  lsewood

  06/13/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Try the Consensus Approach for More Effective Meetings

  Limiting delegates to speaking once until all have spoken is a good way of stopping a few people from hogging the discussions. However, as some people don't like to speak "on the hoof", the success of this method would rely on people having prepared well for the meeting in advance, so they come prepared to share a view and not let others take the weight of decision-making.

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  durantam

  06/13/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Try the Consensus Approach for More Effective Meetings

  "Roberts Rules of Order" are intended for large, deliberative bodies and boards of directors. Any use in the day-to-day workplace is a misapplication and a detriment to getting business done. For the most part, gone are the days of dictatorial managers. But the pendulum may had swung too far the other way in allowing everyone to have a say (very tedius). Managers should be able to make a call on their own in some cases, and to vet an idea in others. That's why they are managers--to be able to be "the decisioner" in a way that's appropriate for the circumstances.