Blog #8 Making Consensus Decisions

What are the preconditions necessary for using consensus decision making in a group or organization?  

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the process?

Consensus decision making means that when a group of people are trying to make a decision, the majority doesn't rule and nothing can be taken into effect unless everyone is okay with the final decision. Everyone is also responsible for speaking up about their opinion. This doesn't mean that the whole group has to be in agreement about whatever is being proposed, it just means that they will allow it to happen, even if there is still dissent or hesitancy. You just have to reach a point or idea that everyone can get behind. 

Not every group environment is able to adopt a consensus decision making style. There has to be a respectful and open environment in which all of the member's opinions are taken and heard with the same weight. (No ones opinion is worth more than any other person) In chapter three on the Formal Consensus Website, it talks about how trust is the most important thing. Basically, many of the conditions of a group that can use this process effectively mirror the green values discussed in blog #4. Also, there has to be a certain number of people, like in Estes interview, she says that for there to need to be a facilitator the group should number 30 or more people. The group must also throw out all of the old/traditional decision making processes, such as majority rules, because that will hinder the consensus decision making process. 

There are many positives expressed on the Consensus Decision Making Website. One of the ones that stood out most to me was that this process is the least violent way to make decisions. I never really considered how violent it can get when people are all arguing and persuading towards one side and how someone always comes out the loser. Other pros are that it works well in large groups, it is very democratic, and it welcomes more participation. There are some weaknesses to this process as well, it can take a long time to hear everyone's opinion and to see all possible sides, wont work if people in the group are not used to/have never worked together, trust is needed to and for all participants, one person blocking can hold up the whole group, and group leaders must use facilitation instead of attempting to control the whole process.

Over all, I think that consensus decision making is a good thing that works in most situations, but it is hard to implement because it so so radically different than the ways we do things now.