Shared Decision Making

Transforming our economic, environmental and social systems cannot be done by alone – it requires deep collaboration. In our experience, collective action and coalition-building requires intentional stewardship. It needs to be facilitated with care and sustained with skill.

One of the biggest challenges we experience when facilitating coalitions or working groups is shared decision-making. This is often where things fall apart. But collective action depends on shared decision-making across diverse stakeholders, so we need purpose-built tools that help us do this well.

Over the last decade, we’ve supported many teams and coalitions navigating complex decisions together. We’ve tested and refined approaches in different contexts, and we want to share the practices we use to help groups make decisions together. 

1. Set group agreements and expectations early

It sounds simple, but it’s foundational. Without group agreements, there's nothing to return to when it gets hard. At the outset of a working group, we take time to establish ways of working together, including how we’ll make decisions and navigate tensions. Gruop agreements create the container for honest conversation and alignment.

2. Align on a purpose centered in helping poeple

We typically start coalition work by aligning everyone on the “why” that orients the work, and we codify this as a purpose statement. A strong purpose statement answers the question: Who are we helping, how are we helping them and why are we helping (to what end)? Centering people in our purpose statement helps to reground the group when it gets swirly. It functions as a "higher calling" for the group and a way to overcome individual agendas.

3. Get clear on why a decision is needed

When we face a fork in the road, we acknowledge that a decision needs to be made and  it requires multiple perspectives. Before we get into decision-making, we help the group get clear on the importance of making this decision and their stake in it. We often ask: Why is it important we make this decision together, or what’s at stake if we don’t align on a decision?

For example: “Our community is waiting on guidance from us, and we need to align so we can lead them forward with clarity.”

4. Identify primary decision makeers

Not everyone has to be in the center of a decision. We sometimes use a fishbowl structure for big decisions, with the primary decision makers at the center. The decision-makers at the center are tasked with crafting a proposal. The rest of the group in the outer ring listens, observes, and if relevant, has an opportunity to offer feedback on before the decision is made final. We've used a fishbowl decision-making structure like this for in-person workshops, but it can also be replicated virtually.

5. Use a structured decision-making process

When it’s time to decide, we find it’s helpful to bring in structure. Here’s a simple flow:

• Clarify the decision: What are we deciding today?
  
• Make a proposal: We ask one of the decision-makers to offer a proposal. It doesn’t have to be a perfect pitch, it’s just a way to move from discussing to solving. For example, if the decision is what to prioritize, this person might say: “I propose we prioritize this, and here’s why…”
  
• We ask others to work the proposal. They have options. They can:
  
  
  • "Plus one" the proposal
    
  • Say “yes, and…” to build or refine
    
  • Say “no, but…” and offer a new proposal

The point is for the group to stay in proposal mode. We want to avoid the critique dynamic that often stalls collaboration and instead ask for alternative proposals to keep discussion moving forward.

6. Align using consent, not consensus

With a consensus model, everyone has to agree, and this can be a long, arduous, frustrating process. We often encourage groups to instead use a consent-based model for decision making. Since we were introduced to the “fist or five” exercise, it’s become a go-to for us.  To codify a decision, we ask the group to do a formal round of “fist or five.” Our only goal to get to a 3 or above  – meaning “I can live with this.” We don’t need unanimous agreement, just enough alignment to move forward together.

7. Codify the decision

Write it down, and document it. Codifying decisions builds shared memory and accountability. It’s a helpful reference when the group needs to reorient or revisit a decision and it’s a form of respect for the work the group has done together.

8. Know when and how to reopen the decision

Things change. Define up front what would prompt a revisit of a decision. For example:“If our financial picture changes significantly this quarter, we’ll revisit this decision.”

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Shared decision-making is one of the most challenging but important parts of collective action. With the right structures, facilitation, and commitment in place, decision-making can become a generative force in collaborative work. These practices are part of a toolkit for creating system change, and the more we use them, the more impact we'll have.

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