Techniques Successful Groups Use to Set Goals & Make Decisions

A project can get complicated anytime more than one person is involved.

Many people are reluctant to work in groups but collaboration is often required in the business world. Knowing techniques to help the group stay focused and be productive goes a long way toward alleviating many of the problems associated with collaborative projects. Techniques exist for the success of these groups, but the groups themselves are the ones who must find a technique that works best for them.

Stepladdering

All members of a small group get the same information and task and then take time to think about the problem individually. Two members then get together and discuss the problem and possible solutions. A third member joins the group and gives his opinion before hearing the first two members' ideas. A fourth member joins and the same process occurs. This ensures that everyone hears all other possible opinions or solutions before making a decision as a group.

Team Empowerment

Giving the teams the authority to make the decisions necessary allows them the freedom to make actionable plans. This allows teams to develop clearly defined goals and allows for concise, effective decisions. Upper management needs to give teams using this method the latitude to do what the team feels is best to meet these goals and cannot hover while team members make the decisions.

Decision and Information Optimization

Group members evaluate all the criteria involved in the decision and its possible outcomes. They consider time, resources and possible consequences before setting the goals or making the necessary decisions. This allows the group to weigh all the information before acting. One drawback is that group members may find some information more important than others, causing possible conflict within the group.

SMART Goal Setting

Setting goals that meet the SMART goal classification (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Bound) allows a group to move quickly and efficiently through team projects. This enables the group to solve problems when they arise, potentially negating any negative issues before they happen. With this technique the group must stay on task and work well together without a lot of conflict, otherwise the decision making or goal setting will take too much time.

References

• Mind Tools: Stepladder Technique: Making Better Group Decisions
• National Defense University: Strategic Leadership and Decision Making : Part Three: Teams and Decision Making
• Virtual Salt: Introduction to Decision Making by Robert Harris
• Mind Tools: Golden Rules of Goal Setting Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success