Collective decision-making methods in management: main stages and examples

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Decision making for a manager is a constant and rather responsible job. It is carried out literally at all actions of leaders at any level, helping to formulate the setting of goals and leading to their achievement.

Decision making is not just about the manager. It affects the employees of the organization, and sometimes the entire team. That is why it is so important for success to understand the nature and essence of such actions, which will allow success in the field of management.

In order for the decision to be made as effective as possible, the manager should take into account a number of factors. This will be achieved through the use of targeted cross-functional teams, whose members must be selected from various levels and departments of the organization.

Collective acceptance methodsdecisions are the most effective way of thinking. After all, their use allows us to speak with confidence about the maximum objectivity of the obtained expert assessment. This happens due to the involvement of a representative and wide range of specialists.

Benefits of group solutions

Let's consider the advantages and disadvantages of collective methods. Their benefits are as follows:

1. Getting more information. When a group is involved in the decision-making process, a variety of points of view can be observed based on the experience gained by each of the specialists included in it. This becomes impossible for one person.
2. Developing multiple options. In connection with the use of a large amount of information by the group, many points of view are subject to discussion. This advantage of collective decision-making methods is especially evident in cases where the team is assembled from representatives of different speci alties. The multiplicity of suggestions and thoughts tends to lead to more useful options than in the case of the work of each individual employee.
3. Maximum probability of approval of decisions by the team. It often happens that the company does not achieve its goal. This happens because of the disagreement of employees to implement the decision brought to their attention. If, however, a direct executor takes part in its adoption, then in the future he will certainly begin to implement it and ensure that his colleagues do the same.
4. Great legitimacy. Collective methods of decision-making are consistent with the democratic ideals of society. That is why the opinion expressed by the group is perceived by many people as having more legal force. A decision made by oneself, and moreover, by a person with full power, is often perceived as despotic and dictatorial.

Disadvantages of group methods

What can be attributed to the disadvantages of teamwork? Among them:

1. A significant waste of time. Unable to quickly assemble a group. It also takes time for a team of employees to develop a single solution. Such a shortcoming is devoid of the actions of one person.
2. Power of a minority. The members of a formed group will never have the same position. They will differ from each other in their status in the organization, work experience, knowledge of the problem, the ability to express their own opinions and ideas, as well as personal confidence. Such influence will certainly lead to the fact that one or more members of the group will begin to use their advantage and will "press" others. As a result, the dominant minority is able to influence the adoption of the final version.
3. Group pressure. In the decision-making process, most team members want to be "like everyone else." This happens under the influence of the formed team. This leads to the emergence of a phenomenon called template or group thinking. In this case, a person either does not have his own opinion at all, or refuses it in favor of the opinion of the majority. Template thinking is peculiarform of submission. When she is present, team members will abandon unpopular or non-standard points of view only in order to create the appearance of agreeing with the majority. All this negatively affects the effectiveness of group decisions.
4. Lack of a clear division of responsibility. All members of the group are responsible for the decision made. But with whom to ask for the final result? When a single decision is made, the answer to this question is obvious. But no one is responsible for the results of the group's work.

Team Selection

At the first stage of using collective decision-making methods in management, it is necessary to create a working team. As a rule, it is a temporary team, which includes both leaders and performers. Such a team is a targeted association of employees that goes beyond the organizational structure of the company.

Among the distinctive characteristics of a group created to make a management decision, the following can be distinguished:

1. Sharing leadership between members.
2. Having complementary skills and abilities.
3. Presence of personal and mutual responsibility.
4. Creating a product that can provide synergy.
5. Assessing the effectiveness of activities based on the final result.
6. Joint decision making and execution.

Team roles

According to the theory of R. Belbin, in each group created to make an optimal management decision,The most effective teamwork is possible when members fulfill the following nine roles:

1. Generator of ideas. This is a person whose task is to put forward new strategies. At the same time, this team member will have to focus only on the main problems that the group has to solve. An idea generator should be a serious thinker, individualist, and at the same time open to fresh ideas.
2. Resource Explorer. This team member should discover and communicate new ideas and developments that are taking place outside the team. By nature, such a person should be an extrovert, interested, curious and sociable.
3. Coordinator. This member of the group is certainly a self-confident and mature person with leadership qualities. Its task is to define common goals. Having led the decision-making process, the facilitator must skillfully delegate authority.
4. Motivator. This is a dynamic and stimulating person. While working in a team, he should not lose his composure even in the most difficult situation. The motivator needs to have courage and drive, which will allow the group to successfully overcome the obstacles that arise.
5. Critic. The task of this team member is to analyze problems from a pragmatic point of view. The critic evaluates the proposals and ideas received in such a way as to direct the team to make a balanced decision. This person, who plays the role of a skeptic in a team, needs to have common sense, prudence anddiscretion.
6. Working bee. The task of this team member is to turn concepts and plans into practical procedures. At the same time, the working bee must regularly and effectively fulfill all the obligations assumed. Such a person should be sensitive, gentle and socially oriented. He just needs to be a good diplomat and adequately respond to various situations and people's actions, as well as take an active part in shaping the spirit of the team.
7. Support of the group. The person playing this role will have to support the team and assist it in the most difficult situations, helping to create a good mood. In the group, he is assigned the role of a diplomat. By nature, he should be calm and confident, as well as keeping his own behavior under control.
8. Specialist. This team member needs to turn plans into reality. Such a person should be committed to achieving high standards in his professional field, as well as possessing rare skills and knowledge.
9. Final. It is important for this team member to maintain perseverance among its members, to save them from mistakes associated not only with activity, but also with inactivity. By nature, it is important for him to be diligent, conscientious and diligent.

Let's move on to the specific methods of collective decision-making.

Brainstorming

It is believed that this method was invented by the ancient Vikings. It happened during the voyage, when their ship got into a difficult situation. Then the captain gathereddeck the whole team. Each of its members in turn offered their own solution to the problem. Moreover, the cabin boys were the first to express their opinion, and the captain was the last to speak. The use of such an order made it possible to exclude the influence of the authority of the senior members of the team on the opinion of the younger ones. But the final decision was still up to the captain.

The method of brainstorming is characterized by an avalanche-like advancement of new ideas without their critical evaluation. This process continues until the optimal solution appears. The task of this method is to develop the maximum number of options to find a way out of an uncertain situation.

There is a widespread belief that brainstorming is a kind of informal meeting at which employees express everything that comes to their mind about an existing problem. On the one hand, this is true. But since brainstorming is primarily a method that allows you to come to a solution to a problem, it has its own technology, and also has certain rules and stages. Their observance can significantly increase the efficiency of this method and develop the most effective and high-quality solution.

Brainstorming involves six steps. The first one is preparatory. It is necessary for the selection of people and the distribution of their roles. Then the leader is chosen.

What is the principle of forming a group? Everything will depend on the task at hand. For example, perhapsthe participation of the entire department, which concerns a particular issue. But if you approach this stage with all responsibility, then you should include in the group those employees of the organization who, in their official duties, have to face the problem that has arisen.

One example of brainstorming is the task of developing an idea for an advertising campaign commissioned by a baby food manufacturer. In this case, to discuss the issue, it is necessary to invite designers and creatives, as well as the head of the department. To participate in the team, you will also need employees of an advertising agency who have small children. Such workers are likely to purchase the product themselves, and their ideas may form the basis for the development of the final product.

The second stage of the brainstorming method involves the setting of goals and objectives, which became the reason for this event. Here it is important to explain in detail and intelligibly to each of the team members the essence of the existing problem. This will minimize possible misunderstandings. The team needs to provide as much input as possible. Such an action will be the main impetus for the beginning of the discussion.

At the third stage of using the method, a warm-up is carried out. The brain needs it just as much as the muscles. Before the discussion itself begins, the group should “swing”. In this case, the leader acts as the ringleader. Any group game is suitable for warming up the brain. Just a few minutes, and the participants will be in the right mood.

The next step is the most important. He presupposescontinuous and active generation of ideas. The effectiveness of the final result directly depends on this stage. At the same time, it is possible to put forward any ideas - fantastic, absurd and even unrealistic. The most important thing is the continuity of the process itself. Methods for obtaining information in this case can be very different. These are oral statements that require fixing by one person on paper, and the writing of ideas by each of the participants, which will be subject to further consideration.

In the fifth step of brainstorming, all ideas are ranked and evaluated. Either all members of the group or only the leader take part in their classification. Ideally, this should be done by a separate team of employees. However, such a condition for the application of the method is not mandatory. After considering all the proposals, the weakest of them are eliminated. As a result, the best options remain. Their number depends on the productivity of the event.

At the final stage, the results of the brainstorming are submitted for public discussion. At this time, the group will have to switch from the flight of fantasy to rational thinking. That is why it is recommended to carry out such work a few days after the event.

Varieties of Brainstorming

This methodology can be applied using various ways of conducting events. Consider the most interesting of them:

1. Role-playing. The essence of this method lies in the fact that each of the group members musttry on one image or another. This allows him to feel a certain situation as accurately as possible. Based on the position of the role, an employee of the organization describes the sensations, ideas and thoughts that came to his mind. The main thing at the same time is to be as liberated as possible, for which you can even change into your heroes. An example of this type of brainstorming would be to complete the task of creating product packaging. In this case, the team members must play the role of supermarket buyers.
2. "120 rooms". This method allows you to generate one hundred and twenty creative ideas in a fairly short time. To do this, the group members must imagine a house in front of them. It has 120 empty rooms. The task of the team is to enter each of them, feel the atmosphere and fill the room with a new idea.
3. Reverse method. The main task during this event is to find the most unsuccessful solutions with their transformation into the most acceptable ones.

Delphi method

This way of making collective decisions was developed in the USA in the 50s-60s of the XX century. Its main task was to predict the impact of those scientific developments that it intended to implement in the future on the methodology of conducting military operations. This method was developed in the American strategic center RAND.

Today, it is considered one of the methods of forecasting and planning, which becomes possible when conducting an expert assessment. Its main feature is multi-level, anonymity, as well as correspondence. Basicthe prerequisite for creating this method is the idea that the generalization and proper processing of individual assessments of a large number of experts about a given situation will provide an opinion that has a maximum of reliability and reliability.

The essence of the Delphi method lies in finding ways to determine the most optimal solution to the problem. How does this happen? The procedure is carried out using brainstorming, questionnaires and interviews. It is based on the opinion that a created team of independent experts will evaluate and predict the result much better than a structured group of ordinary people. Moreover, a team of specialists in this case can be selected in such a way that its members do not know about each other. This avoids the clash of different opinions.

There are two groups that take part in the Delphi method. The first of them is created from experts who express their point of view on an existing problem. The second group is represented by analysts. They are necessary to bring the opinions of experts to one common denominator.

The method itself includes several steps:

1. The first of them is the selection of members of the expert group. As a rule, this is 20 people.
2. At the second stage, the problem is formulated. Experts, getting the main question, break it into several small ones. The task of analysts at this stage is to compile a questionnaire. Further, it is provided to experts, who offer their own ways to get out ofthe current situation, and also study the availability of resources and the relevance of the presented ways to solve the problem. Analysts consider the opinions of experts and try to bring them as close as possible. These steps are repeated over and over again until a consensus is reached.
3. The third stage is analytical. Here, again, the consistency of expert opinions is checked, the findings are analyzed, and final recommendations are developed.

Thus, this method is a method of questioning, the procedure of which is multilevel. After each round, the data obtained is finalized by analysts, and the results of this work are reported to the experts, indicating the marks.

At the first stage of the survey method, team members do not give reasons for their resumes. In the second round, this is already present, if the expert does not change his assessment.

Morphological method

The decision-making process when using this method is to decompose the existing problem into its components. After that, they are broken down into implementation methods. Further work is carried out on the compilation of all possible combinations. A project is being formed for the most promising of them.

Method of analogies

The essence of this way of making collective decisions is to try to solve an existing problem with the help of ideas that take place in other areas of science and life.

During a certain period of time, this methodThe choice of alternatives was accepted so successfully that it became the basis for the emergence of a new science - synectics. The steps for applying this method are as follows:

• Isolate the cause of the difficulty.
• Its limiting expression, perceived by specialists in other fields.
• Description of purpose and objective limitations.
• Singling out an area of science or life where close solutions may be present.
• Selecting a team of specialists from the chosen field of activity.
• Organize and conduct brainstorming sessions.
• Interpretations of the obtained solutions.
• Choosing the most effective and feasible proposals.

Method of peer review

Some managerial decisions must be made in the field of forecasting and planning the economic development of the organization. The implementation of these tasks is a complex, multi-stage process. It involves the solution of a wide range of scientific, technical and socio-economic problems. At the same time, various methods of forecasting and planning find their application. The most common of these are intuitive methods, which are based on the use of logical thinking.

These include the method of expert assessments. It is concluded using the intuitive-logical thinking of a specialist. At the same time, it is combined with quantitative methods for evaluating, as well as processing the results obtained. When using this method, the forecast is based on the opinion of a team of specialists withprofessional, practical and scientific experience.