SuperadditiveThe Decider

Method 05 of 08

Consensus

Everyone agrees.

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What it means

The group keeps shaping the decision until everyone can support the final choice.

Consensus is not voting. It is negotiation toward an answer that receives everyone's agreement.

Best when

  • The decision affects everyone substantially.
  • Implementation depends heavily on commitment.
  • Participants possess different useful information.
  • Trust is reasonably high.
  • There is enough time to work through disagreement.

Watch out for

  • Endless discussion.
  • Compromise for the sake of compromise.
  • Hidden veto power.
  • Powerful people dominating informally.
  • Using consensus for decisions that don't need it.

How it works

  1. Define the problem.
  2. Generate possible approaches.
  3. Surface preferences.
  4. Understand disagreement.
  5. Modify proposals.
  6. Test agreement again.
  7. Continue until everyone can support the decision.

Run the decision

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A short tool built for consensus decisions. It keeps the steps, roles and record straight. It never makes the call for you.

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Common traps

Consensus is mistaken for everyone getting their first choice.
It isn't.
The group keeps discussing forever.
Set a deadline and fallback method before beginning.
People talk past each other.
Keep the problem and current proposal visible.
Silence is treated as agreement.
Explicitly ask every participant.

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