Model leadership behaviour

As an effective leader, you must ensure that the members of your work team are heard and encouraged to take part in decision-making. The decisions you make in the workplace affect everyone, so it is only right that each team member gets a say in those decisions. You must avoid making all the decisions yourself because they also offer valuable input and ideas that you cannot develop independently.

Encouraging Participation

You can utilise several techniques in your group decision-making process to encourage active participation and minimise conflict among group members. The most common and perhaps least useful group decision-making method is when someone suggests an idea and, before anyone else has said anything about it, someone else suggests another idea until the group eventually finds one it will act on.

This results in shooting down the original idea before it has really been considered. All the ideas that are bypassed have, in a sense, been rejected by the group. But because the ‘rejections’ have been simply a joint decision not to support the idea, the proposer feels that their suggestions have been rejected, and thus will be less likely to introduce new ideas. Conflicts may also arise because of this. There is a need for improved decision-making processes, such as the six which follow.

Structured Brainstorming

Brainstorming attempts to bring together problem-solving and discussion. It is a technique that could be done on an individual or a group basis to find solutions to real business problems and find solutions that may improve the organisation as a whole. Essentially, brainstorming works on the idea that the more ideas you generate, the more likely it is that one of those ideas will assist you in reaching your business objectives. The brainstorming process is useful in that it:

• Is quick
• It can generate many ideas in a very short amount of time.
• Helps encourage your team members to work together
• Suggestions should never be dismissed immediately, and there should always be a discussion.
• Allows for one idea to be expanded on or improved over time through discussion
• When an idea is shared, ask leading questions that allow for the team member that shared it to elaborate and provide more details as you discuss it.
• Allows for creative thinking as no ideas are dismissed
• Everyone feels free to suggest their ideas, no matter how crazy they might be.

The Brainstorming Process

The process of brainstorming involves:

Ensure that you and your team work together to generate as many ideas as you can. Think through as many options as possible and make this list as long as possible. Remember you want quantity at this stage, not quality. The more ideas you have to choose from, the better.

Remember always to let go of any judgment you may have about a specific idea. There should be no criticism or evaluation of the ideas at this stage. You want it to remain as free as possible without being discouraged by judgement on your ideas.

Be wild. Be creative. Let your mind go free. Roam through ideas, piggybacking on top of other ideas until you reach ideas that may be impossible.

Take your initial ideas and revise them. You may, for example:

• combine ideas
• amend ideas
• expand ideas
• delete ideas
• consolidate groups of ideas
• substitute some ideas
• offer opposite ideas
• make the issue being resolved bigger or smaller
• make appropriate analogies
• Write every idea down on paper so that you have a record of what has taken place.

The Charette Procedure

This second procedure for generating new ideas and concepts involves generating new ideas and then taking those ideas and prioritising them into another order which can be used to determine which ideas will be most useful to the organisation.

The process for undertaking this involves you breaking down the group into three smaller groups. Each of these groups will address one of the major issues that need consideration. Each group will have a scribe, and all ideas suggested will be written down on large sheets of paper. They will then brainstorm as many ideas as possible and write them down.

After a given period, the discussion will end, and the piece of paper will be passed on to the next group, who will refine the ideas on the paper and add their own if they come up with any more. This is then repeated until each group has dealt with each issue. You will then swap one more time, and the original group will prioritise the ideas for discussion among the entire group.

This strategy allows you to:

• Try and resolve multiple issues at once
• Allow for high levels of interactivity
• Allow small groups to work on a problem all at once
• Take a large problem and break it down into smaller issues which are then prioritised
• Ensure that you have the details needed to resolve an issue at hand quickly
• Encourage team members to show leadership among themselves
• Take one person’s ideas and build on them
• Allow for a wide range of discussion to be made

The Charette Procedure Steps

Divide the large group into smaller groups – one for each issue that needs to be addressed.

Each group should then select an individual to record that group. This individual will then lead the discussion and record the ideas generated by each group undertaking the task.

Ensure that each group has a time frame to undertake their discussion. Keep it short (five to eight minutes is a good time frame) to keep everyone’s interest levels high.

The individual leading the process will then give a warning as you are approaching the end time and calls out when the time limit is up. The scribe will then pass the piece of paper with their ideas on to the next group.

Once each group has a new issue to work on, they begin by reviewing the information and ideas given by the last group and add any additional ideas they may have.

Repeat steps 3 to 5 until you reach a point where each group has had an opportunity to work on every issue in your issues list. At this point, the paper should be with its original group, and that group is tasked with prioritising the ideas provided.

The whole group gets back together, and the scribes from each group are asked to summarise the generated ideas. The large group can then discuss the ideas and decide which should be implemented.

Nominal Group Technique

The nominal group technique is a quality improvement technique that allows individuals to come together, discuss an issue, and quickly reach a valid conclusion. This conclusion may be the solution to a known problem. The technique will find solutions and, using discussion, rank these according to the priorities for the solution.

This problem-solving method is particularly effective because it allows the entire team to come together to find an appropriate solution. Then, the team will feel more committed to that solution, making its implementation much easier to achieve. Like brainstorming, this method works best when team members know that they can freely give their ideas and opinions without any chance of ridicule from other team members. One other important aspect of this method is that even shyer team members feel committed and willing to share their ideas, which you often find impossible with brainstorming where dominant people lead the discussion.

Nominal Group Technique’s Key Stages

Using the techniques outlined previously, create a list of ideas or solutions. These are what you will be working with to establish your consensus on the decision.

• Ensure that everyone has a copy of all these topics.
• Delete anything that is repeated or off-topic.
• Spend time clarifying statements that you feel need it.
• Provide a final list of solutions or statements, with each of these numbered so that they can be easily identified.
• Have each team member rank these in their order of preference. For example, you may use the number 5 as the least important and the number 1 as the most important.
• You would then ask all team members to rank these according to how they feel they impact the defects occurring within the department.

Consensus

This method involves simply discussing the issue until you reach a consensus. Here you are looking for ideas and solutions that all team members will support, rather than one that everyone agrees with entirely or is happy with. It is not possible to please everyone all of the time, unfortunately.

This can be a very slow method of determining how to resolve a problem, simply because everyone is different and is likely to have different ideas on how to resolve a given problem. A consensus allows everyone in the team to contribute to the discussion because everyone’s ideas and insights must be considered before reaching a consensus or solution that is agreed upon. You also need to be sure that all team members are happy with the solution, not just some majority. Thus, this will involve a lot of time working through issues, and you may never reach a true consensus.

The leader of this discussion needs to be confident that they can resolve differences of opinion and provide helpful advice where needed. Even though this method is time-consuming and thus can be expensive, it should be noted that if your team can reach a true consensus about how to resolve a problem, you are going to end up with a decision that is going to be implemented by a team that fully supports it, rather than one which is being forced on to it; a distinction that will make the difference between a half-hearted implementation and one which resolves the issue.

Voting

Everyone is familiar with how voting works. In voting, every team member gets one vote used to decide on the most appropriate method for resolving an issue. The solution that receives the most votes wins.

The good thing about this method is that it is familiar; everyone knows how to do it. The voting takes place in private so that everyone can provide an opinion without feeling belittled. Voting promotes the participation of everyone in your work team because each person must cast a vote before a decision is made.

Storyboarding

The final method is storyboarding. This technique involves using display methods to display solutions. It works best in smaller groups. The ideas are drawn up and displayed on the wall. Each idea can be moved around and altered easily until, like a movie, all the bits simply fall into place, and you have a process to follow to resolve a problem.

When using this technique, ensure that everyone gets a chance to have their idea displayed. Each piece of the storyboard must be made up of everyone’s ideas and suggestions, rather than just one or a few team members. Even if not all ideas fit the storyboard, your team members should still be given a chance to express them. It is easier to remove ideas that will not work rather than adding those that could have been suggested earlier.

Open decision-making succeeds by relying on collective wisdom instead of a single person. It involves as many people and ideas as possible in the decision-making process. It uses a non-hierarchical approach where the answer emerges from a discussion among a group of informed people rather than being handed down from on high.

One of the risks of the open approach is that it could impact efficiency and lead to ‘analysis paralysis’. However, leaders can maintain efficiency by finding ways to gather input quickly, such as quick polls and blink tests. It is also important for leaders to step in and break deadlocks quickly if the consensus does not emerge immediately after the discussion.

For leaders not used to open decision-making, the most challenging part of adopting it is learning to trust it. If you are used to controlling decisions very carefully, it is hard to believe that you can have an open discussion, take a vote, and the right answer will appear. This is exactly what happens; you do not have to control as much as you think. Manage the process, not the outcome; the outcome will take care of itself.

Besides producing good decisions, one of the best things about the open process is the impact it has on culture. The open approach promotes interaction and discussion and creates a sense of community. People in the group feel like their opinions count, and they feel responsible for helping make the right decisions. The open process also encourages people to think about what is good for the organisation, not just what is good for them personally, and this tends to produce a strong sense of alignment in the team.

Leading a Group

Several different group leadership styles can be utilised when making decisions in a team situation. Each of these methods allows for differing opportunities for active participation. You can see some of the leadership styles and how they work below:

Autocratic or Directive Style

• Leader makes all the decisions
• Best used for decisions that are:
  • simple and routine; or
  • need to be completed quickly; or
  • does not require the full team to be involved

Team Leader Makes Decision After Discussion

• Leader has a discussion with team members
• Leader will consider all opinions and make the decision on their own
• Best for decisions that are likely difficult to agree on

Expert Opinion

• Decision is made by someone with knowledge on the topic
• Best when you know and have access to an expert

Individual Consultative Style

• Leader asks each team member for their opinion
• Leader makes a decision that is a compromise of all opinions
• Best for when a decision needs to be made quickly

Decision by Minority

• The decision is made by whoever is present
• Best used when there is limited time, and the team cannot convene

Voting

• At least 51% of the team must agree on the decision
• Best for when you need to keep the entire team happy

Participative Style

• The decision is made through teamwork
• All members get to share ideas and opinions
• Best used when there is ample time for decision-making

You should consider and use the method that will work best for your team, given their stage of development, time, and empowerment. The leadership styles range from completely autocratic decision-making to decision-making within a team with no leader.

When making decisions for your organisation, there are plenty of factors you need to consider. A course of action is necessary to make important decisions with your work team and the organisation. How a course of action pans out is affected by your options and the risks that can affect it. The following sections will discuss how you can determine the best course of action for your organisation.

The Decision-Making Process

Group or team meetings are the core of group problem-solving. During these meetings, you will conduct the problem-solving and decision-making process. This process should be planned so that you know the steps that need to be taken to solve your problem/s best. Briefly, the steps are:

Step 1: Make a general description of the problem condition as the team sees it.

What seems to be the crux of the problem? How does it influence you? Talk over the problem in general terms, trying to outline the parameters.

Step 2: Describe what the defined condition would be like in an ideal but reachable state.

Here, you are trying to establish a sense of the changes that would have to occur by looking hypothetically at, for example, how production operations in a factory might need to differ, how the attitudes of people might change, etc. Again, it is important to talk over the ideal condition and obtain a feel for it. This will often help sharpen the focus of the real problem. The concern is for what could be done, rather than how to achieve it.

Step 3: Identify the specific discrepancies that exist between the present view of reality and the ideal state.

The problem should begin to take on a different shape as a result of this analysis. Be sure to list down all the gaps you have identified and illustrate them clearly. This will help you create a clearer picture of the issues to be resolved.

Step 4: Analyse the nature of the condition more thoroughly.

Do this by asking a series of critical questions and discussing it among the group:

Does there appear to be more than one problem? Does each warrant individual attention?

What benefits does the present condition hold for the group that is defining it as a problem? One reason that problems do not just disappear on their own is that they usually present some form of positives to a particular group. If the group benefits from the problem, you may find it difficult to replace a problem with a solution.

What are the blockages that have been seen in previous attempts at change? Underlying a blockage may be a hidden benefit that subtly supports the existence of the status quo.

Finally, what are the present solutions currently being attempted, albeit unsuccessfully? By having the group take a long, hard look at unsuccessful efforts, a clearer understanding of the problem itself may often be gained.

Step 5: Now, in light of all the new information about the problem condition, redefine it as clearly and briefly as possible.

Again, it is not negative to discover that there are several problems. But for the group’s purposes, it is necessary to isolate one that is the most important to solve, and that might have the greatest impact on other existing conditions. By selecting the problem that can be solved and that might have a positive ripple effect, one can assume that the time in the meeting will be put to good use.

Step 6: Without considering the implications of a particular solution, generate as many alternatives as possible.

Potential solutions might result from reflection back on any of the previous steps. The key in this stage is not to worry about implementation or consequences but simply to develop real and concrete choices that presently are not available to you. Thus, what strategies might remove a previously identified block or benefit? This is where the group can get their minds working; techniques such as brainstorming (outlined in the previous section) are particularly useful for this.

Step 7: Consider the consequences.

This step is often overlooked because of the enthusiasm for the selected alternative. This is a down-to-earth, practical step, and its purpose is to make an objective workable or discard it. You can conduct the following processes to examine your options properly and consider the possible consequences:

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is a technique that involves identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involving a decision. It is important to identify all these factors because they can impact your decision. It is also vital to note that you have some control over these factors and that they are subject to change. Each factor defined is found below:

Strengths - What are you good at? What advantages do you have over others?

Weaknesses - What are you not so good at? What do you need to work on?

Opportunities - What is happening in the external environment that you could take advantage of?

Threats - What is happening externally that could prevent you from reaching your goals?

Listing Pros and Cons

As the process name implies, it is simply listing the pros and cons of the decision. The pros are the potential benefits or advantages of the decision you intend to make. The cons are the disadvantages. If there are more pros than cons, the decision is favourable. If there are more cons than pros, then another decision may be necessary.

This process is the simplest of the three but is also the most limiting. Although it can offer valuable insight into the decision’s consequences, it should be used alongside the other processes.

Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is the process of identifying hazards that have the potential to cause harm and evaluating their associated risks. This is usually done to ensure health and safety in the workplace. However, it is also helpful in making decisions in an organisation. Conducting a risk assessment allows you to identify the potentially harmful consequences of the decision you make. When conducting a risk assessment, consider these questions:

• What are the hazards of the decision’s consequences?
• What are those hazards’ associated risks?
• What is the potential harm that those hazards pose?
• What is the likelihood of that harm occurring?
• What is the severity of the harm, should it occur?

Step 8: Monitor and develop appropriate support systems.

This is to ensure the stabilising of the implemented alternative. The generation of other options is the easiest part of problem-solving. Getting those alternatives into action often proves to be impossible. Looking at the consequences and building support systems will prove helpful. For changes to work, the team will need to accept some form of accountability when the results of the change will be assessed. This will assist in making any changes ‘stick’.

Step 9: Evaluate problem-solving efforts to decide what steps should be taken next.

Conclusion: The group can take several relatively simple approaches to evaluate the problem-solving efforts.

Assess the degree to which discrepancies between the current situation have increased and decreased from the initial assessment of the problem.

Take any objectives created in the earlier steps and compare them to specific outcomes.

At this stage, further problem-solving can occur to solve any issues that arose out of the new solution.

Take this approach to problem-solving in a team and utilise it within your problem-solving meetings. You may plan your meetings around different steps, with different meetings being involved with different steps. This step-by-step approach should also allow you to stay focused on objectives. It is vitally important that you do not move off the key topics for the meetings and move into discussing other problems or just general chit-chat.

Assessing Risks in Decision-Making

• the likelihood it will occur
• the impact of it occurring
• the means of eliminating or minimising the risk
• the effectiveness of the control measures

Ultimately, your goal is to eliminate and manage the risks that can affect your course of action. You must implement the most efficient measures to control those risks to ensure the success of the course of action that you will choose.

A widespread method of measuring risk and predicting the probability of success is through a technical scoring method. When faced with a new project, you can execute a simple assessment by first identifying the foreseeable risks and assigning each one a numeric value that pertains to its severity according to the previously mentioned elements. You may create your own criteria for determining the probability of a risk depending on the specific needs of a project.

The next step is to determine the organisation's capabilities, particularly the aspects affected by the challenges. Through another criteria review, you can again assign numeric values and determine the organisation's probability of positive outcomes due to the decision.

The product of the two values will equate to the actual probability of success. Take note that this value is simply an estimation, and a statistical approach can deliver more approximate results to reality.

One of the final steps in the decision-making process is implementing the decision. As a leader in your workplace, you must develop a plan that applies what you and your work team have agreed on together. Part of implementing a decision is communicating it to the relevant persons. Decision-making is a team effort, and your team must be a part of it from start to finish. The following sections will discuss the decision implementation process and how you can use it to demonstrate leadership.

The Implementation Plan

Even after you and your work team have agreed on a decision, implementing it is not a simple task. It is possible that the implementation will not turn out the way it was planned, so to ensure that your performance adheres to your decision, you must develop a decision implementation process.

You and your team should develop the implementation process. An implementation plan should be developed in the course of one or multiple meetings attended by everyone that is involved in the decision-making. This plan should then be documented and written according to your organisation’s policies and procedures for implementation planning.

Below are some helpful guidelines for successfully developing a decision implementation process.

Establish the decision implementation team

• For every decision, there should be a team responsible for implementing the course of action that was decided on.
• Every team member should have a clear understanding of their role in implementing the decision.

Define the implementation plan's goals

• The goals in the implementation plan must be clear and actionable.
• All workers that are part of the implementation team and will be affected by the decision should be informed of the implementation plan's objectives.

Emphasise the value of communication between the team members

• Ensure that the implementation team maintains open communication with each other about the implementation.
• They should be able to express when they identify issues in the implementation that need to be addressed.
• The key to successful implementation is communication and collaboration between the members of the team in charge.

The Decision Implementation Process

The decision implementation process has seven steps:

The decision implementation process shows the activities that need to be done by the implementers. It begins with defining the roles of the relevant persons in the implementation process. As a leader in your workplace, you must choose the people who will implement the decision, assess the implementation, validate the implementation, and monitor the implementation.

When the decisions are partially implemented, the assessors can identify adjustments that need to be made. If that happens, the changes must first be applied until the decision can be fully implemented.

Once you and your team implement it as intended, the validators must evaluate the decision and ensure that the implementation matches your decision. Lastly, the monitoring stage requires that you record the outcomes of your implementation to the relevant persons.

When soliciting feedback from individuals within the organisation (and others whose performance rating or compensation are set or influenced by you), be very aware of the difficulties in getting honest, usable, and valuable feedback. It is usually best to schedule the feedback activities after the organisation’s performance, and compensation decisions have been finalised but before notification to the work team has occurred.

This removes the possibility for criticism that feedback could influence actions in setting performance ratings or compensation levels. It also eliminates the possibility that the feedback provided will influence performance ratings or compensation decisions.

Feedback Processes

Feedback processes may be:

• formal or informal
• from internal (within the organisation) or external (outside of the organisation) sources

Formal feedback processes are structured and organised. The feedback you gather from those processes should be properly recorded and documented to help you monitor the impact of your chosen and implemented decisions. Below are some examples of different formal processes that you can use to gather feedback in your workplace.

• Feedback surveys: Keep the survey brief and ensure that the questions you ask are direct and easy to understand
• Interviews: Allow your workers to have ample time to communicate all their comments and insights
• Feedback e-mails: You use e-mails to ask for feedback from external sources such as clients and customers

Informal feedback processes are less structured compared to formal ones. The feedback you gather from these processes does not need to be officially recorded and documented but can still contribute to how you monitor the impact of the decisions made for the organisation.

• Informal meetings: This includes any casual conversation with you internal or external sources
• Group settings: Include lunches and company trips
• Casual conversations: This includes any casual conversation with your internal or external sources

Gathering Genuine Feedback

A good way to get honest feedback is by allowing a group to give it anonymously. Here is a process to correctly execute that:

1. Assemble a group to provide feedback
2. Invite others aside from the group to ensure anonymous feedback
3. Ensure that those seeking feedback are not in the same room as those providing it
4. Appoint a representative who will discuss the group's feedback with the receiver

Key Points

Brainstorming is a blending of group problem-solving and discussion. It operates on the premise that the more ideas generated, the greater the possibility of finding a workable solution to a given problem.

Storyboarding is a technique used to organise and visually display information.

When developing an implementation plan, you must select a decision implementation team, establish the implementation plan’s goals, and ensure open communication between that team’s members.

To properly consider the consequences of a decision, you can conduct a SWOT analysis, list pros and cons, or conduct a risk assessment.

The decision implementing process has seven steps: start implementation, set responsibilities, implement decisions, coordinate implementation, assess finished implementation, validate implementation, and monitor implementation.

To ensure honest feedback, allow your work team to submit their feedback anonymously.

Summary

As a leader in an organisation, it is your job to ensure that your team is highly motivated, working towards correct goals, and encouraged to perform at the peak of their performance levels.

An important part of being a leader is ensuring that you have effective performance standards in place to guarantee that your team is aware of what is required of them and will work hard to achieve that level of performance. Being a leader means aligning your behaviour with your organisation’s values and inspiring that same behaviour in your work team.

You must identify how you can perform in a way and level that pushes your organisation towards its objectives. That performance involves developing ways to promote growth in your work team, effectively make decisions, and resolve issues.