Step 7 in Action

Step #7 in Action

Tough Issue: Picking the Best Idea

As project manager for an important new product, Jenny had just completed a meeting with representatives from marketing, design, and production. They came together to make a final decision about a key aspect of the product. Where and how would customers access the product? Would the firm use distributors? Should they offer it direct through the Internet? Would partnering with an established player in the market and integrating the new product into that company's products be a good idea? Each of these choices had important implications for the work groups represented at the meeting.

After laying out the options and discussing the merits of each alternative, Jenny suggested what she thought would be a desirable course of action. A few participants nodded their heads in agreement. No one objected. Jenny concluded the meeting by saying, "Well, then, let's go forward."

There are many problems with Jenny's approach. Did she pick the best idea? Was it really the one everybody thought would work most effectively? Or did Jenny's rush to confirm her own assessment and demonstrate that she was in charge make her overconfident of her team's response? Moreover, did people's nodding and going along with the suggested direction mean that they had reflected on all the choices and thought the suggested approach was best? Did they have enough time to quietly reflect on the choices? And what criteria did Jenny and other team members use to make their choices? If some team members had thought other alternatives would be better, how would Jenny have known?

Those problems aren't all. If participants had actually thought that a different path would have been preferable, wouldn't the vigor of their commitment to the direction Jenny proposed be less than it should be? And wouldn't it be better for Jenny to know the group's real level of support right then, so she could address the concerns, consider other alternatives more carefully, or at least appreciate that motivation might become an issue?

The biggest question, however, is whether everyone agreed to the same thing. Even if they heard Jenny's words, did they interpret them the same way?