Decision by Committee: 5 ways to make it faster & easier

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Our clients tell us that one of their biggest challenges is decision making within a committee situation, where many decision makers can make reaching consensus an impossible task.

In WWII, the United States employed a “complication” strategy to sabotage enemy organizations. Simplification expert and author of Why Simple Wins, Lisa Bodell outlines some of its recommendations: to never permit shortcuts to “expedite decisions”; “insist on doing everything through channels”; and ensure that more than three people need to approve every single decision.

If people make decisions based on emotion before logic, because it “feels right before it has to make sense,” as Phil M. Jones points out, complication can be a trap that many committees unwittingly fall into.

We asked our top keynote speakers for their tips on how committees can make decision making easy and effective.

Here’s what they had to say:

Get Clear on your Objectives

Starting with a clear objective is an essential first step to taking decisive action as a group. Leadership speaker Colette Carlson says that any group must create a clear and decisive vision in order to stay on track when making decisions.?

Business Strategist Peter Sheahan adds that while the initial process of becoming clear on your group’s desired outcome may take some time, it will allow your group to make all subsequent decisions faster and easier.?

“If the end result is not a timely decision, then it doesn’t matter how much collaboration or critical thinking took place.” - Nick Tasler, keynote speaker on Change

Aim for Fast & Efficient Decisions

The impact of fast decision making can be the differentiator when it comes to staying on the cutting edge of your industry, supporting your organization members and providing exceptional service that will keep your clients and members coming back for more. This from former fighter pilot Nicole Malachowski, an expert at split second decision making.

But remember no one person is able to make every decision.?

Retired Captain of the USS Benfold, the best performing ship in the Navy, ?Mike Abrashoff knows this better than anyone. Finding the right people to delegate decision making to, and trusting their decisions, empowers committee members to take ownership of handling the details, freeing up other resources for other tasks.?

Creating a Safe & Diverse Space

Effective decision making by committee can only occur when all committee members feel like they are safe to share their opinions and ideas without judgement. Participating in decision-making can reduce stress, increase trust and create a culture where people are more likely to own their challenges and solutions, according to workplace culture authority Adrian Gostick.

A committee’s ability to disagree without causing offence is a crucial precondition for problem solving. Culture Keynote speaker Chester Elton adds that having a diverse committee with varying perspectives encourages committee members to think critically and be more innovative and creative when making decisions.?

Keep it Small

We’ve all heard the expression that there are too many cooks in the kitchen, and it is clear that the same can be said for committees: too many committee members around the table ruins the conference!?

Leadership keynote speaker Cam Marston suggests a maximum of 8 people on any committee. Having a larger committee can dilute decision making and slow down the process of taking clear action, resulting in lacklustre compromises and inefficiency.

Share the Love … and the feedback

One thing all of our keynote speakers agreed upon is that once a decision is made by a committee, the entire committee must uniformly support the decision, whether or not it was a unanimous decision.?

Geopolitical Analyst Jacob Shapiro shared this example of how committees can go awry on a large scale:

“China is a great example. Before Xi Jinping asserted control over the Communist Party, Chinese political precedent was to make decisions in committees. Xi himself was considered a "compromise" that made the various factions happy…Xi assumed more power because he realized China's governance was being hurt by the decision-by-committee effect -- that China needed someone to make hard decisions and lead everyone else along even though there would be significant disagreement and some interests would be hurt.” - Jacob L. Shapiro

Making decisions can be challenging for any one person, and it follows that decision making with more opinions can be even more challenging. We hope that these tips will help your committee strengthen its decision making muscles to achieve great outcomes!

One last thing…

Do you struggle to make decisions? We will leave you with this tip from Amy Herman, author of The Art of Perception:

"Notice one small thing every day, be it on your way to work, in your home, or while you are outside. Doing so will train your brain to widen its scope, create more space for differing perspectives and make better decisions." - Amy Herman

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