Procedural Group Decision Making

Group work, working in groups, group decision making…

Did I give you anxiety or the “workplace scaries” just by mentioning anything group work related?!?!

Yup...that’s why the workplace needs Career Civility. It’s a ~less scary~ format of group discussion, group decision making, and group work.

Poole defines procedural group decision making as “sets of rules or guidelines which specify how a group should organize its process to achieve a particular goal” (1990, pg. 55).

And even better...(another academic quote for you), “scientists believe that procedures improve the decision-making performance of groups” (Pavitt, Curtis, 1991, pg. 430).

Let me repeat that-- It is scientifically proven that procedures improve decision making.

So then, why are “group discussions” at work SO unproductive?

A couple of thoughts, and feel free to add your own:

-Group think - no one has their own opinion because they are too scared to speak up against the status quo

-Powerful group members - are you going to be the one to challenge your manager?

-Dominating the discussion - how many of your colleagues dominate the discussion in meetings?

-Conflict - need I say more?

-No direction - if you don’t show up to a meeting with a well thought out agenda...don’t show up to the meeting at all.

Civil Dialogue is a format for discussion and it is a creative procedure for decision making in groups.

It involves a facilitator, a topic/prompt, five individual participants and an audience. The facilitator ensures that the discussion is productive and the participants actively give their opinions, feedback, reflections, as well as their oppositions and the audience observes, listens, and poses additional questions.

The goal of each dialogue? To advance a topic, shift perspectives, and/or make a decision.

So if scientists prove that procedural decision making improves the outcome of decisions, why not employ Civil Dialogue in your own workplace?

Where do you see an opportunity to improve group decision making in your workplace? I am curious to hear more about this topic so we can discuss how Career Civility can advise and advance the opportunity for Civil Dialogue in your workplace.