The Keys to Step 6


The Keys to Step #6

Focus on a 100 Percent Information Exchange

To get the most out of Step #6, flip the standard debating approach on its head. Don't even let a debate begin. If you follow this guideline, each person will be able to express negatives as well as positives about each option under consideration. No one will be able to dominate the discussion to favor his or her point of view. Everyone's best thinking will have a chance to air without needless repetition or debate.

However, in order to accomplish a successful information exchange, you must follow Step #6 carefully. It can be difficult for people to listen to something negative about an idea they favor. It can be even more difficult for them to say something positive about ideas they don't like. Group members must agree to adhere to the established structure so that they can feel confident that everyone is playing by the same rules and not taking advantage of the open-minded atmosphere.

Using this step for information exchange enabled a regional government agency to turn around a difficult budget confrontation. Its board of directors needed to slash millions of dollars from its already lean operating budget. "If we approach this like a typical issue, with each member making speeches and advocating and debating positions, we'll be at each other's throats," the board president commented. "We need a way to work through this issue that gets results and also demonstrates to community members that we've all heard their concerns, assessed the relevant considerations, and reached thoughtful conclusions."

The board applied Step #6 in their process of addressing the budget issue. Board members exchanged information about more than a dozen potential budget cuts in a cable-broadcast public meeting. The seven-member board completed the work in a little over an hour.

"If it hadn't been for this process, we would have been here for days," the board president reported. "What's more, both the public and the press have seen us at our best—thoughtfully sharing information. The cuts won't be popular, but at least everyone knows we each considered all the information openly."

Because the process for information exchange incorporated into this step is so open, it self-corrects for bias. It would be immediately apparent if someone close-mindedly advocated only one particular position. The other participants would recognize that the person had only positive things to say for his or her favored option and negative statements about the others. Because such bias manifests itself so obviously and runs counter to the group's shared hopes, participants restrain themselves from exhibiting such behavior, thereby avoiding the posturing that is typical of debate-oriented decision processes.

A particular advantage of Step #6 is that it helps even large groups address a broad range of options in a focused amount of time. This makes it feasible to include a large group of representative stakeholders and information providers, as outlined in Step #1, and still get the job done.

Develop New Options from What You've Learned

The hallmark of a learning organization and a successful decision-making process is that new and more effective options arise from the discussion. When Alex's team laid out the negatives and the positives of all their potential solutions, they not only considered all of them equally but also came up with several new options that no one had thought of previously. By thoroughly exploring all sides of every possibility and really listening to what others have to say, participants often generate new and exciting ideas.

Take Advantage of the Huge Improvement Potential

If your organization hasn't employed Step #6 yet, you're not alone. In a survey of middle managers from three dozen organizations representing a wide range of industries and small to large employee groups, few knew about or regularly applied this approach (see Appendix A). In fact, less than one-third regularly use a structured approach to air the pros and cons on major issues. However, when survey respondents were introduced to the ten steps, Step #6 was one of the most frequently cited ways to significantly improve their organizations.




How Great Decisions Get Made. 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues
How Great Decisions Get Made: 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues
ISBN: 0814407935
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 112
Authors: Don Maruska

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