Reaching a Decision and Improving Efficiency

Decisions

Reaching a decision is the key purpose of meetings. There are a range of decision making methods, two of the most commonly used methods are voting and consensus decision making.

Voting	Consensus
Assumes conflict is inevitable	Emphasizes cooperation between members
Assumes that the majority prevail	Assumes that decision can be agreed by all
Some issues may require more formal voting to be anonymous	Chairperson makes suggestion but not to force a decision
Advantage of being quick, everyone can participate	When there isnt agreeance those who disagree are asked to give alternatives, or asked if they will stand aside to allow the group to move forward
Reduces chance of decisions being held up	At end chair person asks all if they agree

Efficiency

Getting the most out of meetings is critical, especially where time or other constraints exist. Therefore it is important that members develop active listening:

Individual should know why they are listening
Listen with whole body e.g body language
Give feedback and be involved in discussion
Show empathy
Encourage other participants to get involved
Try not to think of your response while listening
Match positive moods
Listen to whole message
Help relax and put members at ease
Look for positive points

Reaching a Decision and Improving Efficiency

Decisions

Efficiency

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