I think everyone who has ever worked, especially in some type of corporate environment can tell you a story or two about terrible meetings they have attended. There are also many, many examples of meetings that, while not awful, are far from productive. One of the reasons for these experiences is that meetings are not often a place where decisions are made effectively – or even made at all.
Meetings, of course, aren’t the only place where decisions can and should be made, but in the context of meetings is one way to talk about how decisions can be made.
That discussion must start with the leader. The leader must consciously (better) or unconsciously (far too often) determine how a decision for any specific situation will be reached. The basic choices are:
An independent decision – one made by the leader alone. These decisions may be announced at a meeting, but by definition they don’t require any input from others; a meeting isn’t required to make them.
A decision with input – the leader wants input from others before making the decision; a perfect reason for a meeting.
A collaborative decision – more than just a bit of input, in this approach the group deliberates on the facts and other factors before a decision is made.
A consensus decision – a decision where the leader themselves isn’t making the decision, but truly the full group comes to the decision collectively.
Each of these decision-making types, including all of the nuanced versions of them, are valid and valuable in the right situation.
Next week I am going to provide readers with the best meeting approach for your situation. Your answers to certain questions will help you create better and more open decision-making processes, and in the meantime help you create more effective and productive meetings.
Oh and one very important reminder:
If you have already decided which direction to go, or which course of action to take, do NOT ask for input.
It damages trust, wastes people’s time and is a dangerous manipulation. I have seen this far too many times. You know who you are……
Ana McGary is a seasoned Human Resources and business professional with over 25 years of human resources management and executive leadership experience in Fortune 500 organizations, large and small companies in various industries. Ana is a results oriented HR Business consultant who offers business leaders and executives human resources and business guidance and solutions that enable them to grow and retain their employees and customers.
She founded PeopleFirst Enterprises, Inc. in April 2010. PeopleFirst offers human resources practices, guidance and outsourcing services to emerging, small and midsize businesses in the Southeast market. In today’s changing world, capital is scarce. Because PeopleFirst is smaller than some of its larger competitors, we are able to provide similar services that are not pre-packaged and are designed to meet the business needs of each customer at a significantly lower expense.
Ana’s areas of expertise include all aspects of human resources management, employment and labor laws, leadership development, multi-site operational management, operational policies, processes and procedures, staff performance optimization, benefits/compensation design, merger/acquisitions integration, and management and executive coaching. Her passions include organizational effectiveness, leadership coaching & development, facilitating individuals, teams and organizations to reach their maximum performance. She has written several articles for business publications and speaks at several conferences throughout the year. Ana has consistently been recognized by her customers as an exceptional communicator and professional adviser. Ana maintains her Professional Human Resources certification as well as her Paralegal certification requirements. She is an active member of The Society for Human Resources Management, nationally and within several southeast chapters. She is also a member of the International Coach Federation and the Georgia Coach Federation. Ana serves as a Board Member for It’s the Journey, Inc. A Georgia based charitable organization and producers of The Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. She is also a member of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is fluent in Spanish.
PeopleFirst’s approach to Human Resources is partnering with executives, presidents, vice presidents, directors and business owners in managing the human side of the ever changing world of business. We combine creative strategy with tactical leadership to help organizations meet their desired business objectives.
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