Making group decisions at work is rarely an easy task. Getting the right people together, building consensus, and communicating the decision are just a few pieces to an often difficult puzzle.
Facilitating a group decision isn’t taught at school, yet it’s probably the most important things we do in our work. After all, a company’s success is really just a sum of all its decisions.
So how should we approach making group decisions? Is it even possible to get better at them?
Andy Grove, former chairman and CEO of Intel, was a brilliant teacher of management. In his book, High Output Management, he outlines a
It may not turn us into CEO-caliber decision makers overnight, but it does give us one more tool we can use to practice more effective leadership in our organization. Employing this consistent framework helps expedite the decision-making process and gives us a straightforward approach to tackle even the most intimidating decision.
1. What decision needs to be made?
No explanation needed here. But don’t shrug off its importance. Take the time to write down exactly what decision you need to make. Clarifying this first step will help you keep upcoming debates from digressing off topic.
2. When does it need to be made?
A decision will usually set in motion a series of next actions. Make sure that the decision is made in time to keep whatever project it affects on track.
3. Who will decide?
Figure out who needs to be at the table. It’s embarrassing and a waste of everyone’s time to schedule a meeting that’s missing a key decision maker.
Don’t be afraid to ask if you’re unsure. Solicit advice from colleagues familiar with the decision you’re trying to reach.
4. Who will need to be consulted prior to making the decision?
Often the people we need to bring together to make a decision have a team underneath them that they represent. It’s very likely that they will need to be consulted prior to any big decision. Thinking about this ahead of time will help you budget your time and meeting schedule appropriately.
5. Who will ratify or veto the decision?
Answering this question up front eliminates the unexpected power-play from derailing your efforts. Clarify who needs to give the decision their ultimate stamp of approval and make sure they’re invited.
6. Who will need to be informed of the decision?
Finally, once the decision is made, identify other people in the organization who need to know. This could be your manager, your manager’s manager, or people downstream in the organization who will be affected by the decision.
Refining the Framework
The questions aren’t complicated. Each is simple and obvious in retrospect.
But learning to use simple frameworks like this one from Andy Grove can help us tremendously in our career. They give us a roadmap for consistently approaching difficult tasks.
Repeating and refining these skills further build our career reputation as someone who gets things done and does them the right way.
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