Rational Consensus - Alternative To Common Decision-making Practices

Alternative To Common Decision-making Practices

Consensus decision making is an alternative to commonly practised adversarial decision making processes. Robert's Rules of Order, for instance, is a process used by many organizations. The goal of Robert’s Rules is to structure the debate and passage of proposals that win approval through majority vote. This process does not emphasize the goal of full agreement. Critics of Robert’s Rules believe that the process can involve adversarial debate and the formation of competing factions. These dynamics may harm group member relationships and undermine the ability of a group to cooperatively implement a contentious decision.

Consensus decision making attempts to address the problems of both Robert’s Rules of Order and top-down models. Proponents claim that outcomes of the consensus process include:

• Better Decisions: Through including the input of all stakeholders the resulting proposals may better address all potential concerns.
• Better Implementation: A process that includes and respects all parties, and generates as much agreement as possible sets the stage for greater cooperation in implementing the resulting decisions.
• Better Group Relationships: A cooperative, collaborative group atmosphere can foster greater group cohesion and interpersonal connection.