A simple decision-making tool for meetings
A good meeting is generally one where a decision gets made.
This can be difficult to do when the required decision is the answer to a complex question.
Part of why decision-making is so challenging is because decisions themselves are very polarizing, while the logic or information that informs decisions is rarely as definitive.
It’s difficult for people to build firm convictions on an unstable foundation, but simple yes/ no decisions force team members into one extreme or the other.
Meetings that require definitive answers can often spin, because there are always counterpoints. These counterpoints, and the doubt they cast, create circular debates that can burn meeting time and result in indecision.
Additionally, if team members came into the meeting with differing points of view, getting them to jump to the opposite end of the spectrum is quite the compromise.
One of the simplest – but most effective – decision-making techniques you can use to break these gridlocks is the “high five”.
When it’s time to call for a decision, ask your teammates to raise their hands, and indicate their level of support for decision through the number of fingers they hold up.
Five fingers means “I’m 100% aligned let’s get on with this”, one finger means “you will have to drag me kicking and screaming to move this forward”.
What this does is change the decision-making process from a two point scale (yes, no), into a 5 point scale – a much more comfortable way of providing feedback on complex ideas.
This technique can quickly break the gridlock by doing a few things:
1) You force everybody to state where they stand on the matter immediately, which can allow you to quickly make a decision.
2) You immediately get a sense of group alignment, who specifically is opposed, and how difficult it will be to reach a decision.
3) You can use the average of the group’s sentiment to make the decision.
As the leader the important part to remember is you don’t need 5’s across the board to make decision. If anything, it’s rare when you achieve complete unanimity on complex cross-functional decisions.
Allowing people to express their doubts, while still approving the decision, can help you avoid the spin and move past meeting gridlock.
Think other leaders can benefit from this simple technique? Share it with your network:
