Consensus

Earlier in the week, the SP group had a meeting in which Harrell asked whether we wanted to vote or to gain consensus. We then had to discuss what consensus means. I have a great packet from my facilitation class on the subject that I will copy and place in the office library for anyone who is interested in the idea.

A key phrase from this packet is:
Don't ask: "Do we all agree?" or "Is everyone happy?"
Instead ask: " Have we got a well-thought-out solution that we can all live with and commit to implementing?"

One thing that I've learned about the value of consensus is that it can be invaluable in situations where one or more individuals routinely disagree (ie the MOST). If voting is used in these cases, the people who disagree lose the vote and then are able to later say that they weren't in agreement (as in, I told you so!). This divides the group, allows the people who disagreed to remain entrenched in their positions, and also absolves them of any responsibility for the outcome decided by the group. Reaching consensus takes more time, and I think it takes great skill and patience to really reach, but it can lead to more invested action later on the down the road.