With the presidential election just a month away, there’s a collective sense of anticipation as the country waits to see how things unfold. While not every network decision we make is of such magnitude (think event planning or new memberships), navigating group decision-making can still be challenging. Luckily, Shine Lab Associates has a few tried-and-true strategies that can make the process smoother, from start to finish.
Design with the end in mind.
Before diving into final decisions, think about the desired outcome. What needs to be decided? From there, reverse-engineer the process. How much time do you have? What information is needed? Who should be included? You want buy-in from stakeholders, and this includes a variety of perspectives, interests, and capacities. Once you’ve figured out who should be part of the conversation, reach out to potential stakeholders well before your first meeting. This helps build relationships and interest, setting you up for a smoother process.
Get clear on involvement levels.
Once you’ve got the right people at the table, consider the Interaction Institute for Social Change’s Levels of Involvement in Decision-Making axis. This helps to frame the process options and fallbacks available given the context of the decision and the stakeholders involved. Whether they’re providing input or making the final call, it’s important to be upfront about their role to avoid misunderstandings later.
Map out the process.
With stakeholders and outcomes defined, it’s time to nail down the process. How many conversations will you need? Will they be in person or virtual? Will decisions be made by consensus, majority vote, etc.? Keep in mind that more complex decisions typically need more discussions and broader support, so plan ahead for extra meetings and prep time. Sometimes reviewing the broad strokes of the process (and where the group is in that process!) can be helpful context-setting at the start of each group discussion.
Preparation = smoother facilitation.
You’ve sent out invites and built your agenda—now comes the hard part: facilitating the decision-making process. Every participant brings their own perspective and understanding of the issue, which can make things tricky, but it’s also what enriches the conversation. Facilitators who are clear on their roles, communicate desired outcomes, and prep participants with materials beforehand tend to fare better. And remember: document everything. Keep track of decisions made, key points raised, and actions to take. It will make follow-ups and future decision-making easier.
Celebrate the decision!
Once the group reaches a decision, celebrate! Even if the process was bumpy, acknowledge the hard work and thank participants for their time. No matter what decision is made, the relationships built during the process will play a crucial role in how effectively things get implemented. Respect the process, respect the people—and good results will follow.
And of course, don’t forget to vote this year!
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