managing to learn what is consensus
There was no strainer attached and metal scraps got in. In a situation where a group is having difficulty in hearing a particular perspective, you might choose to give one or two people focused attention to help them express it. Alternatively, if your group is far away from meeting these conditions you may decide that consensus isn't right for you at this moment. Read more at loopia.com/loopiadns . Which options or combinations of options might best address the issues raised? Draw up a realistic and fair agenda. It requires trust to let other people go away and discuss an issue, and that trust isnt always present. Problems can come from weak leadership, too much deference to authority, blocking, groupthink and free riding, among others. The A3 is a tool that is used within Toyota as management tool (Shook, 2008). So a little understanding at this stage might in fact be dangerous. The second example avoids guesswork and exaggeration. You could also build in a few minutes of chatting in pairs to help people process what's been said and make contributing easier for people who like to gather their thoughts before speaking in front of a group. And why can't they get the printer to print the documents on time?\" \"What is this, 20 questions?\" \"No, just five,\" replied Sanderson, \"as in Five Whys. Authority rather than assuming that those who are on the highest level of the Working groups get on with day to day tasks within remits set by the whole network and within agreed budgets. human impulse to find a quick answer and run with it, but could also lead to solutions, or as the book prefers to call them countermeasures. Solutions sound too final and those involved Echoing Vygotsky, Smith Listen actively to what people are trying to say. What happens when they get lost? Get used to giving feedback. A block stops a proposal from being agreed. If you are having long term problems, a great place to start is the Conditions for Consensus - do they exist in your group? It is more than a Exciting software developments are bringing together online platforms and social justice activists. This isnt an I dont really like it or I liked the other idea better. It means I fundamentally object to this proposal! Some groups say that a block should only be used if your objection is so strong that youd leave it the proposal went ahead. using questionnaires, focus groups or online discussion forums. This is particularly important in voluntary groups, where most people vote with their feet and leave if they don't feel valued and respected. Im OK with the decision, but Im not going to be around next week to make it happen.. Consensus decisions aim to meet everyone's most important needs and find a balance between what different people want. It is now available as a separate guide, you can find it here. If it was written down and then amended you may need to re-write it for clarity! This can make sense when the decision isn't very important, or the situation is urgent and any decision is better than none. The block may be misused by someone who simply doesn't understand consensus and hasn't thought about the impact on others. Decisions that affect the whole co-op, such as changes to pay and working conditions, policy amendments, agreeing team spending over certain amounts, and agreeing donations from their two funding streams are made in members meetings. Remind yourselves that consensus is about co-operating to find solutions and not competing. It's not always going to be five questions in Delivery: 100% on-time for documents the Five Whys, and he wanted to lead needed at startup. This stage is important to check if there are concerns that havent been heard. If someone feels they had no control over what's on the agenda, it wouldn't be surprising if they spent a lot of time talking 'off topic'. These 5 elements are essential if youre going to reach a consensus: [1] X Trustworthy Source Agree the remit of the discussion: What decisions need to be made by when? You might well feel upset, angry or sad. Where participating groups are based in different places, the spokescouncil either involves travel for the spokes or communication via telephone conferences, chat rooms or online decision-making tools such as loomio. This ensures that all opinions, ideas and concerns are taken into account. Put time into getting clear on why you want to work together / what your shared aims are and remind yourselves of those reasons frequently! Pay special attention at the 'testing for consensus' stage. TrackBack (0). Each stage of the consensus process may take longer and require some specialised facilitation tools. Some people object that placing limitations on the reasons for blocking goes against the principle that every decision should have the consent of everyone involved. A standardised format can be very helpful in getting well developed, well-informed proposals. Giving everyone just 3 minutes to speak in a meeting of 100 people would take 5 hours! ISBN: 9780865712744, Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, Sam Kaner with Lenny Lind, Catherine Toldi, Sarah Fisk and Duane Berger, New Society Publishers, 1996, ISBN: 9780865713475, From Conflict to Cooperation How to Mediate A Dispute, Dr Beverly Potter, Ronin Publishing, 1996. WebAnd only then do they make the decision. The lubrication pump was not pumping sufficiently. Variations of consensus have been used around the world and through time. Training to See Kit: A Value-Stream Mapping Workshop, Value-Stream Mapping Workshop Participant Guide, Creating Continuous Flow / Making Materials Flow Set. He handed over sloppiness in any form, especially the A3, and then took a seat opposite Sanderson. It may take more However, it is an essential part of effective communication, and requires an active effort to do well. An agenda for each meeting is sent out beforehand so that member co-ops can discuss the agenda items, and tell their representative how to respond to proposals in the meeting. When we use consensus in our groups we are practising the skills and attitudes we need to organise society in more equal ways. take others through the A3 process and encourage them to analyze problems and Sometimes an issue brings up a large number of ideas and it can be hard to know how to take it forward. Many people find it hard to name their needs or notice what assumptions they are making in an abstract discussion - but we are more likely to notice when someone puts forward an idea we don't like! The term A3 is derived from the particular size of paper used to outline ideas, plans, and goals throughout the A3 process (A3 paper is also known as 11 x 17 or B-sized paper). It is worth giving time to developing social relationships and addressing difficult dynamics in order to build trust especially if you have big decisions to make together. Looks like youve clipped this slide to already. WebWe take inspiration from other companies, and we always go for the boring solutions.Our CEO, Sid Sijbrandij, has shared the origin of each of the CREDIT values, but just like the rest of our work, we continually adjust our values and strive to make them better. The process isnt always as linear as these models suggest we may jump ahead and then go back and repeat some stages. Better alternatives to the current system are already here, growing in the gaps between the paving stones of state authority and corporate control. In this case, the discussion starts by assessing the pros and cons of the proposal, and often the most that can happen in a meeting is to agree, reject or amend the proposal put forward, but not to create a whole new one from scratch. Because it is such a powerful tool, some groups have developed additional 'rules' about how and when it is to be used.
Some examples: Dots: write up all the ideas, allow each person the same number of dots (1-6 usually works). If a group practices consensus informally the views of confident people may be carried forward as decisions, simply because no-one opposes them. Looking at the pros and cons of different ideas helps the group with really understanding everyone's key needs and concerns. He felt and planning. Be aware though that 'raising the bar' like this will make it disproportionately hard for some people to block, for example if their time and energy are limited by health problems or caring responsibilities. 2. Find ways to check that things have been done, for example through report-backs at meetings, email updates or online tools for ticking of tasks. block, stand-aside, reservations, full support etc.) Even when a group wants to organise non-hierarchically, there are almost always differences in how involved people are, how comfortable they can be, and how much they shape the decisions that happen. And it is much easier for some people to get to meetings because of differences in health, other responsibilities, energy, mobility etc. Keep asking 'why'-maybe five or more times-until you uncover the root cause. Explain the consensus process and how the block works. The western-style system of voting for representatives presents itself as the highest form of democracy. The fact that someone feels the need to block a proposal means that something has gone wrong earlier in the process. Even if they managed to make their internal decisions as equals, an unjust society still limits what decisions they are able to make. The idea is to stimulate a little more commenting and discussion in the The running of the network is delegated into working groups, such as finance, secretarial and co-op support. A variety of groups require anyone blocking to engage in a specific process to find a resolution, such as attending extra workshops or additional meetings. and ask people to raise their hand or a colour coded card for the option of their choice. However, voting creates winners and losers, which can foster competition and distrust. Delivery: Translators have no regard for During his time at headquarters deadlines. Once you've identified what people are trying to achieve, it is often possible to find new possibilities, where all the needs are met. Spend time discussing aims, peoples politics and motivations. ISBN: 9781856498371, Busting the Myth that Consensus-with-unanimity is good for communities, Ideas for tackling power dynamics in meetings, A Consensus Handbook: Co-operative Decision-Making for Activists, Co-ops and Communities, Effective groups - starting them up and keeping them going, Facilitation Tools for Meetings and Workshops. Comments (0) If the decision is postponed try to engage conflicting parties in conflict resolution in the meantime. both a manager and his/her employee and see how the employee is encouraged to By contrast, often decisions can be made by a sub-group because they don't fundamentally affect everyone, e.g. Could the whole group decide on guidelines or broad agreements and a smaller group work out the details?
operations in Japan, S~derson Stakeholder satisfaction (improve the process): The problems upset everyone and feed resent- had learned that it was taboo for an ment, fixing the problems will make everyone individual to argue for a solution to a happier, and make subsequent work progress problem they didn't actually know more smoothly. Introduction At Toyota, where I worked for more than 10 years, the way of thinking about problems and learning from them for more effective planning, decision For example, a group of people could try to take more control over their lives by deciding to get a house together, and make decisions about how they live by consensus. The SlideShare family just got bigger. Developing Structured Problem-Solving and Leadership Skills using A3 Thinking: Managing to Learn Remotely, Hoshin Kanri Remotely: Aligning and Executing on Your Organizational Objectives, Designing the Future Remotely: A Lean Product Development Immersive Learning Experience. For example, you could arrange a rotation system for routine tasks, set up working groups that new people can join, and organise skill-sharing sessions to help people take on unfamiliar roles within the group. (Of course, there are good reasons for using other approaches in some situations, e.g. 
will simply go along with those decisions. "How are you feeling about that?" the best results? For example, the consensus based online decision-making tool Loomio grew out of a collaboration between Occupy activists and social entrepreneurs from the Enspiral Network. In this process the whole group breaks up into smaller groups who then communicate with each other through 'spokes' (also called delegates or reps/representatives).
There are many different reasons why someone might not agree with a proposal.