How can you run a successful decision-making workshop with diverse stakeholders?

While also adding the development of those who participate in the process of self education and growth. expanding on the ability of empowerment via education.

When building your invite list, view prospect through a design-thinking lens. This is especially true if the decision is aligned to a key organizational innovation. Stakeholder guests should represent organizational partners and peers who are apt to experience either a direct or indirect impact resulting from your decision. In the invitation, send a clear message confirming the collaboration approach, workshop engagement norms, and the intention to establish a shared framework of understanding. Early stakeholder perspectives, when properly engaged in the decision-making process, will create constructive and healthy tension for the discussion, driving the conversation in ways that in-group idea sharing might never explore.

There is an approach I often use to insure all critical participant perspectives are revealed prior to group problem-solving and decision-making. I send out a brief anonymous survey, administered by me (external 3rd party), prior to the workshop. The resulting themes, and verbatim comments, are then shared in the session, Results are first reviewed in small breakouts, and then as part of a broader group discussion. By providing a safe space for everyone to share concerns and novel ideas ahead of the session, especially for my more introverted workshop participants, the group is better equipped to design an inclusive path forward, without the added noise of focusing on the messenger.

Diverse team-members use specific language based around their area of expertise that can be confusing or misunderstood by those outside of their subject area. As the facilitator, ground rules will not always be enough to ensure that everyone understands each other's terminology. You need to be prepared to ask the "stupid" questions on behalf of the group to find common ground and keep engagement from all participants.

An effective way to keep participant energy high following a decision-making workshop is to "Give it a name that acts as its frame". Acronyms or mantras might sound silly to some, but in fact they serve as an effective vehicle to continue the spirit of collaboration that was harnessed during the session. This empowered collection of perspectives (the value of inclusion) will be required to provide the same level of candor and commitment, throughout the lifecycle of change, for the decision to make its intended mark on your organization. If you want your workshop to be more than just a 'one and done' opportunity to gain key agreements and a common understanding, consider investing session time in "Naming the Frame" for future collaboration.

The sponsor of an effective decision-making workshop, and/or initiative leader, must have the courage to remain open-minded and agile to ensure the decision(s) underpinning their planning remain solid throughout the lifecycle of the initiative. It's common for new realities of unintended impact to be revealed by downstream activities. It will always be wiser to regroup and recalibrate your decision with stakeholders than it would be to knowingly and fully execute on a flawed decision. Although this would appear to be common sense, this is one of those instances when leaders lean too heavily on opportunity costs associated with the optics of making a 'bad decision'. I challenge leaders to see the effort as making a solid decision better.