How can you build consensus around a complex issue?

It’s all about getting on the whiteboard… Even if everyone’s nodding in agreement, they probably have different pictures (interpretations) in their heads of what’s being talked about. Sketching (even if just boxes and words) creates shared consciousness and draws out discussion where there’s misunderstanding. Bonus: when you are the first one to get on the whiteboard, it also gives you disproportionate influence in the conversation.

Make sure that you consider a range of voices in this conversation by encouraging people to commit their ideas to paper, or encourage more junior team members to speak first. This will help to avoid everyone just saying the same as the boss and mean that you can consider the issue and its scope from a wider range of useful perspectives.

Complex problems involve layers, multiple variables, and impact a range of people. As such, problem-solvers approach the issue from different, and sometimes competing, perspectives. Therefore, defining the issue cannot use traditional, linear modes of problem solving. Many companies are not rigorous in defining the root issue, therefore waste resources on initiatives that don't resolve the issue. To build consensus: 1. Start with what you know. Include facts, inference, speculation, and opinion. 2. Decide what information is missing. What questions remain unanswered? 3. Write a problem statement. Define the problem as one that everyone shares, in context of needs and not solutions; avoid assigning blame. 4. Revise until consensus.

With a complex issue it's critical to ensure that you have a good understanding of the issue from the different points of view. This means engaging stakeholders and also engaging an appropriate sponsor who may be able to help with influence and resources. Gaining this understanding through data, qualitative or quantitative information to understand pain points and potential opportunities. This background info would be critical in gaining support and momentum as you go on to define the issue and propose potential solutions. Throughout the process, keeping stakeholders engaged with the proposed changes, the impact to them (positive or negative) and providing support and structure to maintain this engagement would be key to success.

Beyond consensus I find that everyone brings nuanced perspectives that can get beyond the surface level of the issues. Having this deep level thinking allows the planning process to be more collaborative and comprehensive.

Communication and stakeholder engagement is critical, especially as we implement organisational change. As a starting point, leaders must understand that we can never over communicate with stakeholders, and it is important to engage them at multiple levels organisationally. These engagement should address the Value Proposition behind each protocol or practice that is being discussed and gather feedback from the ground for leadership deliberation. Active Listening during this phase is very important, cascading engagement from all levels to gather feedback and input on how to improve without taking shortcuts. Ultimately there must be an alignment to the company’s Vision and Core Values.

Il est clé de poser un cadre précis tel que : écoute active de chacun, renoncer à avoir raison à priori, transparence sur les sujets (on se dit les choses, pas d’évitement amical). Chacun doit être sincèrement d’accord avec la solution proposée.

I would say you need to start this in stage one, many people engage stakeholders once they think they know what the solution is to the complex problem. Get stakeholders involved in defining the problem and finding the solution

Before involving people, you should have a clear understanding of negative impacts of the issue you face off. Being able to explain those impacts properly will make it easier for others to be concerned. Consider that they are probably not aware of the issue in the first place. Even if not already clearly defined, you should start to talk with other colleagues about the issue, not only teammates. If they have some knowledge you don't have this is probably an indicator that someone from their team (or themselves) should be involved to bring that to the table. Always communicate on why you need the problem to be solved in a factual way. It's not because you would like it to be solved, but because you need it. So what's your need ?

This is really difficult especially when the topic is complex and there are a lot of stakeholders involved. You have to do your best to gather the stakeholders and ensure most, ideally all, are aware of the issue, inputs, and other pertinent details as much and often as possible, so they can be better informed and therefore able to help in giving feedback or the decision-making process.

I find forming Work Groups to explore solutions to specific organisational challenge or problem has proven to work. Through stakeholder engagement there must be a consensus, leading to the definition of the challenges of problems faced by the organisation. Careful and empathetic leadership is required during this phase, to ensure that while all opinions are taken into consideration, there is an alignment to the company’s Vision and Core Values. You would be surprised with the innovation, creativity and energy that work groups would bring to address these challenges and problems of the organisation. Doing so gives the team greater ownership to problems and challenges as well as fostering greater belonging to the organisation.

In my experience, bringing the options back to your stakeholders (depending on the situation of course) can really help with attaining their buy in and retaining their engagement throughout the process. One way to do this is to ask for their advice on the options one on one. Another is to propose them to the greater group, emphasize where your opinion lies and why, and prepare for questions. Either way, you're bringing them into the decision making process and when said option is chosen they will feel a deeper tie to the solution's success.

Some more thought about exploring options: - What is an absolute requirement for you, your team, your company - What is acceptable lost in the process - What are the options the group decide to reject and why (if you don't have rejected options you probably need more work, rejected options helps you define better options) Don't satisfy on compromises. They are often loser/loser options where everybody is disappointed. What can be a winner/winner option ? Can you live with it being a lose for you and a win for others ? Would it be a better option for the company ? Sometimes it is better to accept a lost, to better negotiate the next important stuff for you and your team.

Delve into the array of options to tackle the issue. Be sure to include members from other departments. Schedule a collaborative "Think Tank" to provide a well-rounded view of how your plan aligns with goals, objectives, criteria, and constraints. Scrutinize the pros and cons of each choice. Consider their impact on stakeholders and their interests. Gauge their compatibility with the present and future context and scenarios. This exploration sparks innovative and practical solutions and allows for a thorough evaluation of strengths and weaknesses, facilitating a meaningful comparison of trade-offs and implications. Harness the power of exploration to navigate toward the most effective and well-informed decisions.

Create a safe and open environment for discussion where stakeholders feel comfortable expressing their opinions. Encourage constructive dialogue and avoid confrontational behavior. Identify shared objectives and common goals that all stakeholders can rally behind. Also, emphasize the larger purpose and benefits of reaching a consensus.

As we negotiate an agreement, precision is paramount, aligning seamlessly with the needs of both the team and stakeholders. Initiating constructive dialogue among all parties is the cornerstone of success. Balancing diverse views becomes pivotal in finding common ground. Navigating resistance demands strategic finesse. It's about clarity and realism, making the agreement actionable. Skillful negotiation sets the stage for a win-win outcome, securing commitment and establishing accountability. Elevate the process by sculpting an agreement that serves as a testament to shared success. Your listening skills are crucial; incorporating others' viewpoints ensures inclusivity, fostering collaboration in a concise, impactful manner.

Negotation is often associated with trade-offs. However, if you use co-creation skills, you start by identifying what the goals for each stakeholder and then looking at how they fit in the overall goal/solution. Putting context behind the ultimate "why" can help stakeholders look at it from a more collective viewpoint and get more creative. When you bring stakeholders with you, and actively explore the options that are best for each stakeholder in your process, objections can be handled with real data and analyses so it's clear and as objective as possible.

Negotiation requires that people acknowledge that things may not be the same. Because you are bridging, different thoughts, ideas, ways of doing things. The process of negotiation can be long and tedious. It is. So let no one be in a rush to get to resolution. Negotiation requires those at the table to come recognizing it won’t be their way. It will be the bridging together, the melting pot; a gumbo of ideas that will create a better more efficient and productive vision and way of doing things. A more desirable delivery.

Negociar o acordo é um passo crítico na constru??o de consenso e requer habilidades de comunica??o eficazes, empatia e uma abordagem colaborativa. Aqui est?o algumas estratégias para facilitar esse processo: 1. Comunica??o Clara e Aberta: Estabele?a uma comunica??o clara e aberta entre todas as partes envolvidas. Assegure-se de que todas as informa??es relevantes tenham sido compartilhadas e compreendidas. 2. Superar Resistência: Aborde qualquer resistência de maneira construtiva. Explore as raz?es por trás da resistência e trabalhe em conjunto para encontrar solu??es que possam atender às preocupa??es levantadas. Ao negociar o acordo de maneira colaborativa e construtiva, você cria as condi??es para o consenso duradouro.

Pour moi, pas d'accord sans compréhension profonde des enjeux. Pour être au bon niveau de négociation, vous devez comprendre ce que chacun a à perdre ou à gagner dans la situation. La fa?on dont vous mener cette enquête donnera la qualité des résultats dans la négociation...

In implementing complex, long-term organizational change, a layered approach proves effective. Start by validating plans through setting milestones and planning strategies for the first year. Subsequently, extend the roadmap for the next two years, ensuring a structured and phased implementation for sustained success. Alignment and prioritising of strategies is crucial, not every good idea needs to be implemented. The timing and roadmap of the plans is also important. A sound plan ensures each strategy achieves specific goals, building on the strength and success of the previous one. Ensure congruence of plans and every strategy implemented addresses the problem statement and the organisational challenge is addressed and overcome.

Implementation requires planning - and of course you want your stakeholders to identify what good looks like for their areas to take this forward. It also requires room for learning and celebration. The fastest way to create change is to celebrate mistakes so you can learn together and exponentially take the change forward. The more open you are in this process, the safer it feels for people to take risks and get on board with a change. Do not just celebrate the wins. Celebrate the risks that are being taken in service of the change or solution so that others feel safe to get out of their comfort zone. Create mechanisms for active information sharing in different mediums so all voices can be heard.

In the heart of consensus-building, our focus is on translating agreements into dynamic action. It's not just executing a plan; it's sculpting a narrative of transformation. Artfully communicate the action plan and envisioned outcomes to the team and stakeholders. Allocate resources strategically, crafting a path for execution. Monitor progress, offering timely feedback to navigate with precision. It's more than a process; it's a jubilation of milestones, a recognition of collective effort. Meticulous implementation isn't just delivering a solution; it's fortifying and sustaining the consensus we've crafted. This is the crucible of change, where a shared vision evolves into tangible, meaningful results that resonate beyond the moment.

Give time to time, and clearly articulate the reasoning behind the change to be implemented. Be patient and work to develop a shared vision.

A implementa??o da a??o é a fase em que o acordo é transformado em a??es concretas. Para garantir o sucesso dessa etapa e sustentar o consenso, considere as seguintes diretrizes: > Comunique o Plano de A??o: Comunique claramente o plano de a??o derivado do acordo. Descreva os passos específicos, metas, prazos e resultados esperados. Certifique-se de que todos os envolvidos compreendam suas responsabilidades. > Monitore o Progresso: Estabele?a um sistema de monitoramento para acompanhar o progresso em rela??o aos marcos e prazos estabelecidos. Isso permite identificar e abordar problemas precocemente. Ao seguir essas diretrizes, você cria as condi??es para uma implementa??o bem-sucedida que sustenta o consenso construído.

Ideally you will have set up parameters upfront for what "good" looks like so you can actively measure. But, rather than wait for a quarterly report, consider how you can measure in real-time through feedback loops that include people "on the ground." Use social networks, person to person conversations, and broader metrics so you can see trends and make small tweaks rather than wait for perfect data and large lags in learning. Formal reviews are important but can be costly if you don't allow for real-time feedback and review.

This step requires predefined metrics to be used for measuring the outcomes and impacts. These metrics should be evolved from consensus and conflict negotiation. Afterward, it would be easy to quantify the outcomes and compare them with benchmaraks.

L'identification claire des réussites et des défis rencontrés revêt une importance capitale. Cela nous permet non seulement de célébrer nos accomplissements, mais aussi de comprendre les obstacles auxquels nous avons fait face. Ces enseignements sont essentiels pour guider nos futures actions. Partager ces connaissances avec l'équipe et les parties prenantes de manière proactive nous permet non seulement d'évaluer l'efficacité de nos actions, mais aussi de favoriser un processus d'amélioration continue et d'enrichissement de notre apprentissage organisationnel.

In my experience, The first step is to look at who is the ultimate stakeholder who will be impacted most in the complex issues. The highest prioritization could be given in the order of customer/business,organization, functions, and individual. Most of the time, when we think of the highest stakeholder's interest, we will make the right consensus in any complex situation. If we are at leading role, then listen to all stakeholder's concerns and give assurance to the team or stakeholders that you would be supportive in case there is a failure or as fallback support. That confidence building will help to arrive at a consensus on complex issues.

Be sure why you build consensus. Consensus is needed to align stakeholders and push a project through to completion. From a decision making perspective, consensus can be a symptom of groupthink. Techniques like delphi method or ‘silent meeting’ are better ways to make decisions than consensus-decision-making.

Use the 50:30:20 rule to bring different mindsets to be on the same page on a complex issue. ??50% of time to baseline with the key stakeholders ??30% of time to interpret?the different perspectives? ??20% of time to get to a solution ??50% baseline: A. What is the problem statement? What is the gap and the impact of the gap? ??30% interpret: B. How do we measure success? C. What are the barriers to success?? D. What support is required to remove barriers to success? ???stakeholder engagement ??To communicate for stakeholders' engagement Use the 4 key questions to communicate and anticipate the stakeholders' questions during the communication ??20% solution: Form a project team using structured problem solving methodology

The first step to build consensus around complex issues is to understand that any "6 step approach" won't work. Complex issues are the ones where there is no one right way. We have to figure out as we go. - It is useful to define a vision before carving out clear objectives. Few wildly important goals. - Values we will adhere to to make any decisions. These act as a compass. - Most importantly people are afraid of going wrong in complex environments. Emphasizing that's ok goes a long way. Saying it's ok to not know. - If complexity is due to conflicting needs, identify them. Find common ground. As we navigate together, objectives, paths and goals become clear. Then the issue goes from complex to complicated. Becomes easier.

Remember the paradox that growth creates complexity but complexity kills growth! Start a simplification initiative to fight complexity with automation, simplification or elimination.