Making the Decision

Here are some additional suggestions for resolving disagreements and moving your group toward closure:

Another method to aid in making the decision is using the Intellectual watchdog. Divide your team into two groups of equal size. Group A develops a proposal for a solution that includes their recommendations and key assumptions. They then present their proposal to group B. Instead of having group B generate an alternative plan of action, ask group B to critique the proposal and present its analysis to group A. Ask group A to revise the proposal on the basis of group B’s feedback and present it again. The two groups continue to critique and revise the proposal until they agree on a set of recommendations.

For example, a manufacturer of office furniture needs to improve the quality of its products. The first group assumes that the problem with quality is due to outdated manufacturing equipment, and recommends invest in better equipment. The second group questions this assumption, critiques the proposal, and presents its analysis to the first group. The first group revises its proposal. The two groups work together in the revision-critique-revision cycle until they arrive at a solution that both groups think will improve their product’s quality.

Here are some additional suggestions for resolving disagreements and moving your group toward closure:

Revisit and retest the assumptions about the issue at hand.

Go back to the original decision-making objectives and ensure that they are sill appropriate.

Set a deadline for coming to closure—for example, “By next Tuesday, we will make our decision, no matter how much uncertainty remains.”

Agree that if disagreements remain unresolved, the final choice will be made by a particular rule, such as majority voting, group consensus, or a decision by the senior-most member of the group.

ACTION POINT: Consider the above suggestions when moving decisions toward closure.