Problem-Solving and Decision-Making in Groups
Read this section to learn about common components/characteristics of problems and the five steps in group problem-solving. This article also describes the brainstorming and discussion that should occur before group decision-making, compares and contrasts decision-making techniques, and discusses various influences on decision-making.
Discussion before Decision Making
The nominal group technique
guides decision making through a four-step process that includes idea
generation and evaluation and seeks to elicit equal contributions from
all group members. This
method is useful because the procedure involves all group members
systematically, which fixes the problem of uneven participation during
discussions. Since everyone contributes to the discussion, this method
can also help reduce instances of social loafing. To use the nominal
group technique, do the following:
- Silently and individually list ideas.
- Create a master list of ideas.
- Clarify ideas as needed.
- Take a secret vote to rank group members' acceptance of ideas.
During
the first step, have group members work quietly, in the same space, to
write down every idea they have to address the task or problem they
face. This shouldn't take more than twenty minutes. Whoever is
facilitating the discussion should remind group members to use
brainstorming techniques, which means they shouldn't evaluate ideas as
they are generated. Ask group members to remain silent once they've
finished their list so they do not distract others.
During the
second step, the facilitator goes around the group in a consistent order
asking each person to share one idea at a time. As the idea is shared,
the facilitator records it on a master list that everyone can see. Keep
track of how many times each idea comes up, as that could be an idea
that warrants more discussion. Continue this process until all the ideas
have been shared. As a note to facilitators, some group members may
begin to edit their list or self-censor when asked to provide one of
their ideas. To limit a person's apprehension with sharing his or her
ideas and to ensure that each idea is shared, I have asked group members
to exchange lists with someone else so they can share ideas from the
list they receive without fear of being personally judged.
During
step three, the facilitator should note that group members can now ask
for clarification on ideas on the master list. Do not let this
discussion stray into evaluation of ideas. To help avoid an
unnecessarily long discussion, it may be useful to go from one person to
the next to ask which ideas need clarifying and then go to the
originator(s) of the idea in question for clarification.
During
the fourth step, members use a voting ballot to rank the acceptability
of the ideas on the master list. If the list is long, you may ask group
members to rank only their top five or so choices. The facilitator then
takes up the secret ballots and reviews them in a random order, noting
the rankings of each idea. Ideally, the highest ranked idea can then be
discussed and decided on. The nominal group technique does not carry a
group all the way through to the point of decision; rather, it sets the
group up for a roundtable discussion or use of some other method to
evaluate the merits of the top ideas.