How Great Decisions Get Made - 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on even the Toughest Issues

Don Maruska

Foreword by Margaret J. Wheatley

American Management Association

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

 Maruska, Don. How great decisions get made : 10 easy steps for reaching agreement on even the toughest issues / Don Maruska. — 1st ed. p.      cm. Includes bibliographical references. 

ISBN 0-8144-0793-5

1. Group decision making. I. Title.

HD30.23.M375 2003

658.4'036—dc21 2003010065

Copyright 2004 Don Maruska

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Illustrations on pp. 67 and 77 by Andrew Ellul.

This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Printing number

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to Art for inspiring me and Liz and Katy for encouraging me.

About the Author

Don Maruska writes, speaks, and consults on successful decision-making steps. His work guides clients through such critical issues as new products for Fortune 500 companies, million-dollar-a-day manufacturing problems, obstacles stalling fast-growth businesses, multi-million-dollar budget deficits facing government agencies, and controversies over natural resources.

Don has more than thirty years' experience building and growing organizations. He was vice president of marketing for the company that became E*Trade and was founder and CEO of three Silicon Valley companies, winning the National Innovators Award in 1988. As a venture investor, Don aided start-ups that became public companies. Earlier in his career, he served as a legislative advisor in the U.S. Senate and developed management procedures to implement a nationwide rental housing program. He also led consulting projects for McKinsey & Company. Don writes the "Business Success" column distributed through the Knight-Ridder Business Wire to more than 200 newspapers in the United States and through Reuters overseas.

Don Maruska's training includes an AB from Harvard University and an MBA and a JD from Stanford University. He lives with his wife and daughter on the shore of Morro Bay, California.

Don welcomes your reactions to this book and inquiries about situations in which you'd like to apply the decision process. You may contact the author at:

Don Maruska & Company, Inc.
895 Napa Avenue, Suite A-5
Morro Bay, California 93442
805-772-4667; 805-772-4697 (fax)
www.donmaruska.com or <[e-mail]>

Acknowledgments

I am especially thankful to my wife Liz and daughter Katy for their support throughout the ten years during which I developed and applied the process outlined in this book. Although I've focused on businesses, government, and community organizations externally, we've been making our own great decisions in our home laboratory.

Art Stevens generously shared the spiritual traditions of this process with me. He also encouraged my efforts to develop it for a wide range of secular applications.

Dozens of client organizations and thousands of people gave me the opportunity to help them resolve tough issues and, most important, to learn with them and hone the concepts and procedures. I particularly appreciate the early support from Bill Statler, John Dunn, John Moss, Gary Henderson, Ken Hampian, and Bill and Ed Thoma. Many others followed, including Mike and Myra Gilfix, Steve Goschke, Bob Fredianelli, Bill Hall, Pam Martens, Jim Brabeck, Lauren Brown, Mary Bradley, Barbara Underwood, Steve Ladd, Ron Fellows, Mike Pool, Linda Hansen, Greg Haas, Karen Wood, Kara Blakeslee, Myron Nalepa, Chuck Cova, Ann Foxworthy, Scott Burns, and a much longer list.

Treasured friends and colleagues read drafts, offered key perspectives, and provided moral support. They include John Steinhart, Jim Thompson, Dean Michelson, Roger Sattler, Betty Kaufman, Ned Trainor, John Ashbaugh, Allen Minker, and Dick Armfield.

Several of my professors at Stanford Business School particularly inspired my thinking. Michael Ray's insightful creativity concepts and encouragement have nourished me for over two decades. Similarly, Jim March offered perspectives on leadership and organizations that have stood the test of time.

I'm thankful for Paul Brest, who as dean of Stanford Law School took an interest in this approach to decision making. I appreciated the early opportunity to guest-lecture on the topic.

Meg Wheatley's path-finding work on self-organizing systems and the need to reclaim conversation to solve issues added insights and inspiration for my efforts. I'm honored that she chose to share her thoughts in the foreword to this book.

Amid all of this activity, Judy Stevens, Stu Schlegel, Benedict Reid, and Mary-Elizabeth Pratt Horsley helped me keep my spiritual center. In addition, over the past decade, Thomas Leonard, Jeff Raim, and Shirley Anderson coached me on the business and personal sides of life. Their distinctive abilities to see the truth and share it with deep compassion and encouragement guided me to blaze my trail and follow it.

In terms of writing the book, many people aided me. I particularly appreciate the early interest that Silas Lyons took in my work that led to my "Business Success" column published through the Knight-Ridder Business Wire. The enthusiastic response from readers in the United States, Europe, and Asia demonstrated the market for this book. Sandy Duerr, Larry Mauter, Raven Railey, and Katherine Rowlands have provided continuing support.

Bill Blundell generously read my early drafts. He provided the critical advice to "show not tell" the readers. Jude Long and her talented and friendly library staff provided valuable service and encouragement. Elaine Borden kept my office running smoothly. Susan Suffes and Carol Whiteley helped shape the manuscript with very useful editing. My agent, Carol Susan Roth, championed the message and adeptly guided me through the publishing process with unwavering commitment. Adrienne Hickey at AMACOM Books immediately understood and appreciated this book's themes.

Early in my life, my mother instilled an abiding commitment to excel and spent countless hours helping me learn how to write. My father modeled the listening to others and working together that this book espouses. My brother kept me from taking myself too seriously and demonstrated living one's hopes.

Finally, I give thanks for the divine spirit that I see alive in even the toughest issues. My deepest hope is that this book and your use of it will honor that inspiration.