12. Making decisions in groups – Decision making by consent

12. Making decisions in groups - Decision making by consent

Duration: 2 sessions of 45 minutes each

Effective group communication and decision-making are crucial for reaching objectives. In this lesson, students will explore various decision-making techniques and will have the opportunity to practice the consent decision-making method. This particular approach allows everyone involved to participate in the decision-making process and addresses certain challenges associated with other methods.

Introduction / Background

The decision-making method known as “Decision-making by consent” was developed as part of the sociocracy movement.

Sociocracy is a management method that focuses on equality, the involvement of all members, and making decisions through consensus. It was created in the mid-20th century in the Netherlands by Gerard Endenburg, a Dutch engineer and entrepreneur. The key features of sociocracy include:

Circles: The organization is structured into interconnected circles (or teams), with each circle having specific tasks and responsibilities. These circles independently make decisions within their area of responsibilities.
Dual connectivity: Circles are linked via dual connectivity, meaning that each circle has a representative participating in higher-level decision-making. This ensures that information flows in both directions and that decisions at higher levels reflect the needs and attitudes of lower levels.
Decision-making by consent: Decisions are made through consensus, seeking the consent of all circle members. The goal is to achieve “no objections,” meaning that all circle members must be satisfied with the decision or at least have no serious objections that would prevent the decision’s implementation.
Elections and evaluation: Members are elected to positions through decision-making by consent, and their performance is regularly evaluated. This practice ensures that all members feel accountable and that roles are clearly defined.

Sociocracy is utilized in various kinds of organizations, such as businesses, non-governmental organizations, schools, and communities. The objective is to establish a more efficient, transparent, and equitable method of management, enabling all members to participate in decision-making and ensuring that their voices are both acknowledged and respected.

Goal

The goal of this lesson is to train students and teachers to adopt and simply apply the consensus decision-making method.

Step by step/ How to

Introduction

We start with an initial question: How do we make decisions as a group?
Write down the answers on the board.
Next, give a brief presentation that covers the most commonly used decision-making methods. We will also connect these methods with the answers to the initial question and highlight their respective advantages and disadvantages.
We will then introduce the concept of “consent decision-making” to the students. Define and explain this term as a decision-making method and compare it with the methods mentioned in the earlier presentation. Discuss the problems that the mentioned methods solve and their respective advantages. Additionally, provide some context regarding the emergence of the consent decision-making method.

Exercise: Round

Explain to the students that you will be conducting a decision-making exercise with consent. Introduce them to the term “rounds” as a method that will be used during the exercise.
Arrange the group in a circle so that everyone is facing each other. Explain the rationale for using the round method (equal opportunity for communication, enabling everyone to express themselves, allowing everyone to see each other and their reactions). Clarify the speaking order and the option to skip a question, with the possibility of still answering at the end of the round. Also, explain the concept and role of the facilitator in the process.
Test the first round with a simple question, such as “How do I feel when I need to communicate in this way?” or “What do I think about this method?”
When you have completed at least one round and confirmed there are no ambiguities, define the topic for decision using the consent decision method.

Exercise: Decision making by consent

The leader or facilitator introduces the consent decision-making method and explains the non-verbal communication signals to be used during the exercise:

Defining the proposal to be decided on and familiarizing the participants with the context in which the decision is made (the proposal should be a topic close to the students – a proposal for the location of a trip/excursion, use of common resources – the location of the school garden, the name of the school cooperative or some similar topic).
NOTE: In order to be accepted, a proposal does not need to be “perfect” in the sense that it is the ideal proposal for all group members. It should be such that it is acceptable to everyone and good enough that everyone who decides “can live with it”, that they have no objections to it and that they are willing to try it.
A defined proposal is followed by a clarification round in which participants can ask the proponent questions to obtain clarifications and/or additional information about the proposal. It is important that the proposal is clear to everyone who decides, and if necessary, the proposal itself can be reformulated to make it clear to everyone. (No counter-proposals or alternative proposals are given, but rather the removal of ambiguity in relation to the proposed)
This is followed by a round in which the participants declare the proposal with a non-verbal reaction (reactions are expressed at the same time with non-verbal hand signs that the facilitator presented earlier).
There are three possible reactions: consent, remark and objection. Consent means no objection and acceptance of the proposal. Remark means that there is no objection and does not necessarily indicate agreement with the proposal, but the proposal is accepted with some expressed amendment that does not fundamentally change the proposal itself. A remark does not need to be argued and can mean disagreement but without concrete arguments against the proposal. Remarks are considered as contributions and are recorded. It is expressed with the palm facing down. Objection means that we do not accept the proposal and argue the reasons that we consider not acceptable – the reasons should be such that they endanger or damage one of the members of the group or another individual, as well as that the proposal is not by ethical principles, vision and the goals we represent. The objection is expressed with the palm facing up because it is considered a contribution to making a correct decision acceptable to all group members.
If there are no objections, a decision is made.
If there are any objections, they are resolved by making changes and refinements to the proposed decision in order to address the objection. The objection in the new decision proposal can be integrated by the facilitator or it can be a part of the group decision-making process involving all or part of the group participating in the decision.
The group will indicate their reaction to the new decision proposal through non-verbal means. If there are no objections to the proposal, the decision will be made. However, if there are objections, a decision cannot be reached.
The adoption of the decision is concluded, and remarks are recorded if there were any and if they were not integrated into the proposal. Followed by an agreement on implementation, deadlines, and testing, if necessary.
Celebration for successful group decision-making.

Reflection questions

Why is effective decision-making important?
What are the methods of decision-making in groups and what are their advantages/disadvantages?
What are the advantages of the consent decision-making method?
Can everyone always be satisfied with the decisions made?
In what situations can I apply this method?

Learning objectives

Understanding the importance of communicating in groups.
Familiarity with various decision-making methods and their pros and cons.
Learning about non-verbal communication cues.
Understanding the consent decision-making method.
Applying the consent decision-making method through a guided exercise.