Improve Your Teams Decisions

Teams who know how to make good decisions report both increased member satisfaction, and demonstrate improved performance over teams that delay decision making, or make poor decisions. When it comes to making good decisions leaders often wonder who to include in the decision process. This depends on the need for immediate quality, universal acceptance, and timeliness of the decision at hand.

If quality can be built in over time, the team should be included in decision making. If quality must be immediate, the leader will have most of the responsibility to decide. If the team will be greatly impacted by the decision, and team members must demonstrate acceptance for the decision in order for it to be properly implemented, the team should be involved in making the decision. If a quick decision is important, the leader will take responsibility for the decision, but if there is ample time, the team's input will be sought.

In short, teams need to be involved in decision-making when their input, acceptance and expertise are tantamount to proper implementation of the decision. Team input can be obtained using several different strategies.

The leader can confer privately with each team member to gather relevant data, or the team can be assembled and asked for input as a group. Do be aware that the information gathered in a group setting may be more strategic and guarded than information gathered individually
The team can be given two or three options to consider, and asked to select the best option. These options will be prepared by leadership prior to being presented for team consideration
The team can be asked to generate options, and select the best option to implement with approval from team leadership
The team can be asked to generate and implement decisions free of leadership guidance or approval

Notice that these strategies gradually offer the team increased responsibility for decision-making. Using these strategies in the order listed will serve to train the team in how to make targeted and useful decisions.

Our Team Challenge Events can help to help with the decision making process, not only for team leaders, but for all members of any team.