{"id":53163,"date":"2021-10-27T10:52:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T14:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=53163"},"modified":"2021-11-04T09:48:02","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T13:48:02","slug":"consensus-decision-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is consensus decision-making<\/a>? What are the main benefits of deciding by consensus? What are its key disadvantages?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consensus decision-making is where the group takes everyone\u2019s opinion into account. All the relevant parties consider all the information, and they make a decision<\/a> only when everybody agrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we’ll explore the key advantages and disadvantages of consensus decision-making. We’ll also present some strategies for working in cultures that decide by consensus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Deciding by Consensus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Consensus decisions don’t have to be unanimous. Consensus is generally defined as almost<\/em> unanimous with some dissenting opinions<\/a>. Acceptable dissent can be a percentage or a specific number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since there is so much information to consider, it takes a long time to reach a decision by consensus. However, once the group reaches the decision, everyone commits to that path. <\/strong>This allows for rapid implementation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this commitment also means that it becomes very hard to change that decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: The length of the decision-making process<\/a> can have real and detrimental monetary effects on one’s business. Forrester suggests that by making decisions faster, a company could save $370,000 a year per 25 people<\/a>.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who aren\u2019t used to deciding by consensus often think they’ll like this style of decision. But in practice, they tend to find it frustrating. For example, if they don\u2019t have strong opinions about a particular decision, they want someone else to make the decision instead. Still, many businesses consider implementing consensus decision-making styles because the process \u201coften leads to innovation and creativity, legitimizes minority perspectives, and keeps hierarchy and bureaucracy in check<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other criticisms of deciding by consensus include that it takes too long, that the decisions aren\u2019t flexible or adaptable to new information, and that it prevents individuals from being held accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, another criticism of consensus decision-making is that it\u2019s not actually consensual<\/a>. It\u2019s possible that the junior team members pick up on subtle cues delivered by the leader about what they want and then agree with the leader\u2019s message, even if they wouldn\u2019t otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategies for Cultures That Decide by Consensus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adjust your time expectations<\/strong>. Cultures that decide by consensus will take much longer to reach a decision than you might be used to. Build time for more meetings and more emails into your schedule. Don\u2019t expect a decision immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practice patience.<\/strong> Remember that deciding by consensus doesn\u2019t mean the majority rules. Getting everybody on the same page when people disagree initially will likely be a frustrating and time-consuming process, but well worth it in the end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Hold your meetings someplace conducive to reaching a consensus to help you tolerate longer meetings and reduce frustration<\/a>. Skip the long tables, provide refreshments, and make sure you can see and hear everybody well.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build relationships. <\/strong>Staying in the loop is crucial in cultures that decide by consensus, according to Meyer. So make a point of fostering relationships with your business partners. The earlier you\u2019re aware of how the group feels, the more opportunity you have to change their minds if necessary. You never want to be in a situation where you\u2019re surprised by the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: You won\u2019t be able to come to a decision unless all the meeting participants trust each other<\/a>. So try following Meyer\u2019s trust-building strategies from Chapter 6. If you misunderstand how close you are to someone, you might interpret the information they provide incorrectly.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on the process<\/a>.<\/strong> Remember that a decision, once made, is the final decision. Make sure you agree with the process you\u2019re using. Are you using the right data? Does the logic make sense? Are there external factors you\u2019re not considering? Answering these questions may be crucial to the decision\u2019s success. (Shortform note: We tend not to be aware of the assumptions that affect our decision-making processes, so we rarely reevaluate them. Malcolm Gladwell\u2019s Blink<\/em> may help you learn how your unconscious assumptions might be influencing your workplace decisions<\/a>.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is consensus decision-making? What are the main benefits of deciding by consensus? What are its key disadvantages? Consensus decision-making is where the group takes everyone\u2019s opinion into account. All the relevant parties consider all the information, and they make a decision only when everybody agrees. In this article, we’ll explore the key advantages and disadvantages of consensus decision-making. We’ll also present some strategies for working in cultures that decide by consensus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":14884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,14],"tags":[528],"class_list":["post-53163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-management","tag-the-culture-map","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In consensus decision-making, all opinions are taken into account. Learn about the key advantages and disadvantages of deciding by consensus.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In consensus decision-making, all opinions are taken into account. Learn about the key advantages and disadvantages of deciding by consensus.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-27T14:52:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-11-04T13:48:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Darya Sinusoid\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Darya Sinusoid\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Darya Sinusoid\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46\"},\"headline\":\"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-27T14:52:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-11-04T13:48:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/\"},\"wordCount\":683,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"The Culture Map\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Communication\",\"Management\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/\",\"name\":\"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-27T14:52:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-11-04T13:48:02+00:00\",\"description\":\"In consensus decision-making, all opinions are taken into account. Learn about the key advantages and disadvantages of deciding by consensus.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46\",\"name\":\"Darya Sinusoid\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png\",\"caption\":\"Darya Sinusoid\"},\"description\":\"Darya\u2019s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain\/mind\/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/darya\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making - Shortform Books","description":"In consensus decision-making, all opinions are taken into account. Learn about the key advantages and disadvantages of deciding by consensus.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making","og_description":"In consensus decision-making, all opinions are taken into account. Learn about the key advantages and disadvantages of deciding by consensus.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2021-10-27T14:52:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-11-04T13:48:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Darya Sinusoid","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Darya Sinusoid","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/"},"author":{"name":"Darya Sinusoid","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46"},"headline":"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making","datePublished":"2021-10-27T14:52:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-11-04T13:48:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/"},"wordCount":683,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg","keywords":["The Culture Map"],"articleSection":["Communication","Management"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/","name":"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2021-10-27T14:52:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-11-04T13:48:02+00:00","description":"In consensus decision-making, all opinions are taken into account. Learn about the key advantages and disadvantages of deciding by consensus.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consensus-decision-making\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Pros and Cons of Consensus Decision-Making"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46","name":"Darya Sinusoid","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png","caption":"Darya Sinusoid"},"description":"Darya\u2019s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain\/mind\/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/darya\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/thougtful-disagreement-principles-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53163"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53212,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53163\/revisions\/53212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}