Consensus Decision-making and Building Trust in Teams

Consensus-based Decision-making

When it is time for groups to reach a decision, many turn to consensus. Consensus, a situation of agreement, seems like a good idea. To achieve consensus, groups must cooperate and collaborate, which ultimately produces higher levels of camaraderie and trust. In addition, if everyone agrees, the prevailing wisdom says that everyone will be more committed to the decision.

However, the need for consensus can sometimes be detrimental to group functioning. Consider the “fiscal cliff” faced by the U.S. government toward the end of 2012. The White House and Congress needed to reach a deal that would reduce the swelling budget deficit. However, many Republicans and Democrats stuck to their party lines, refusing to compromise. Many viewed the end product that achieved consensus as a less-than-optimal solution. The public gave Congress an approval rating of only 13 percent, expressing frustration with the lack of compromise, but the group may not have been able to function well partly because of the need for consensus in the face of partisanship.

If consensus is reached, does that mean the decision is the right one? Critics of consensus-based methods argue that any decisions ultimately reached are inferior to decisions using other methods such as voting or having team members provide input to their leader, who then makes the final decision. Critics also argue that, because of pressures to conform, groupthink is much more likely, and decisions reached through consensus are simply those everyone dislikes the least.

Questions
1.    9-28. Is consensus a good way for groups to make decisions? Why or why not?
2.    9-29. Can you think of a time when a group of which you were a part relied on consensus? How do you think the decision turned out?
3.    9-30. Martin Luther King Jr. once proclaimed, “A genuine leader is not a seeker of consensus but a modeler of consensus.” What do you think he meant by that statement? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?

Case Incident 1: Trusting Someone You Can’t See
One of the greatest determinants of a successful team is trust. For a team to be successful, employees must trust that their team members are reliable and capable. They have to have faith that their teammates will work toward the goals of the team rather than their own goals. Trust can be built in teams by creating an environment where team members are not scared to admit that they have made a mistake and feel comfortable providing their input rather than agreeing with the team leader or assertive team members. Building trust among teammates is important, but what if you never see your teammates?

Trust is especially important but also more difficult to build in virtual teams. In a recent review of 52 independent studies, researchers found that the link between trust and team performance is stronger for virtual teams than face-to-face teams! According to the same review, managers can counteract some of the negative effects of low trust in virtual teams by carefully documenting team interactions. This practice shows that team members are held accountable for the work they do in virtual teams and makes sure that team members are recognized for their contributions.

Compensating for a lack of trust may only be a Band-Aid for a larger problem because trust is one of the most important factors in determining team effectiveness. Another review of 112 separate studies found that trust was one of the strongest predictors of team performance, regardless of the team members’ past performance or trust in the team’s manager. The same researchers found that trust may be especially important in teams with varied skill sets or interdependent roles. Trust is also just as important for short-term teams because team members do not have the same adjustment period to learn more about their teammates before having faith that they will contribute to team goals.

Questions
1.    10-13. Recall a time when you felt like you could not trust members on your team. Why did you feel that way? How did that affect the team’s performance?
2.    10-14. Can you think of strategies that can help build trust among virtual team members?
3.    10-15. Imagine you are a manager at a national corporation. You have been asked to select employees for a virtual problem-solving team. What types of employees would you include and why?