Collaborative Decision Making

A632.7.3.RB

Reflect on the role of collaboration and getting to resolution in the process of decision-making. Rarely, if ever, do our decisions affect only ourselves. Consider the importance of getting other stakeholders involved; how can they help you make a better decision for all?  Detail a specific situation where you are faced with the decision, describe the process you went through and the outcome you were seeking. Identify 5 ways stakeholder involvement can help you make better decisions.  Did you achieve your objective?  Looking back at the decision you made and its consequence, was there anyone else that would have added value to the process? Identify 3 ways you may use this learning experience to make better decisions in the future?

Collaborative decision making is an important process that involves multiple stakeholders that contribute to the group’s overall success in many ways, such as an expertise and experience to name a few. Anthony Tisdall (2013), notes the some of the benefits as a result of collaborative decision making:

·       Sharing information leads to better decisions

·       Common situational awareness levels the playing field

·       Diverse stakeholders lead to increased knowledge and understanding

·       Building relationships, builds trust

·       Jointly developed tools and procedures allow stakeholders to quickly adapt in changing environments

It is essential that when forming a group of stakeholders for collaborative decision making that careful thought is given to who is participating (if discretion is available) and the conditions surrounding the group. Many of these factors will establish the tone and set the foundation for the group dynamics and success. In fact, Stuart Easton (2015) provides the following characteristics of what can potentially lead to a “Good” or “Bad” group:

Good group:

·       Clear goals

·       Clear communication

·       Good process and tools

·       Knowledgeable people

·       Collaboration

·       Good executive support

Bad group:

·       Be highly politicized

·       Poorly defined goals

·       No common understanding or communication of the goals

·       Poor group dynamics (e.g. political point-scoring, group think, etc.)

·       No clear process for making a decision and no tools to support consensus building

·       Ambiguous or weak executive sponsorship

While working for a state office as an inspector supervisor, I was tasked by the director to create a plan for training site inspections that spanned the entire state of TN and would last approximately six weeks. Thus, after sitting down with the director where she essentially provided her intent and vision of what she wanted to accomplish. I believe this was a vital step towards our team’s success because it was the starting point that set the conditions for the group I needed to form for the collaborative decision making process. Levine (2009) highlights that, “With intent and a specific vision, you quickly begin thinking about the result you want—the big picture of the resolution or collaboration, as well as a specific picture of what you want to create together (p. 179).

Due to the number of sites that needed to be inspected, the logistics involved, and the cooperation required from all the training providers; I established a group that consisted of subject matter experts (SMEs/stakeholders) that could discuss in detail many of the key considerations/factors involved, such as: what was to be inspected, the time involved in conducting multiple inspections per day per area, and moving a group of inspectors from one location to another.

Over the course of three weeks, the group was able to solidify a plan that would meet the director’s intent and vision within the parameters provided. I believe the collaborative decision making process in this case was effective because of the initial clear guidance and intent, the trust each stakeholder had in each other, but most importantly, the unified effort to accomplish a challenging operation.

References

Easton, S. (2015). Successful Collaborative Decision Making. Transparent Choice. Retrieved from https://blog.transparentchoice.com/strategic-decision-making-in-a-team-its-about-good-people-process-and-software-to-improve-your-decisions.

Levine, S. (2009). Getting to resolution: Turning conflict into resolution. Berrett-Koehler. Kindle Edition.

Tisdall, A. (2013). Collaborative Decision Making. ICAO. Retrieved from http://www1.atmb.net.cn/CD_web/UploadFile/2013122416074950.pdf.