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Some thoughts on the term "consensus" Washington educator and consultant Connie Hoffman believes groups must first agree on a definition of consensus. Although many would define consensus as unanimity on a topic, Hoffman disagrees. With her colleague Judy Ness, Hoffman defines consensus this way: Consensus is a decision that has been reached when most members of the team agree on a clear option and the few who oppose it think they have had an opportunity to influence that choice. All teams members agree to support the decision. To make this definition work, a team decides in advance what "most" means for the group. In a large group, that's typically 75% to 80%; in a small working group of five or six teachers, it might mean that four or five must agree. But getting to consensus does not just happen. Groups need to take deliberate steps in order to get to a point where they will have consensus. "Consensus exists within a group when each member can say: I have had the opportunity to voice my opinions, I believe the group has heard me, I can actively support the group's decision as the best possible at this time, even if it is not my first choice" and Consensus decision making requires: Sufficient time to explore all the information and opinions Strong facilitative leadership Members willing to contribute their views and discuss their reasons Commitment and effort to develop an atmosphere of honesty and openness in the group Willingness to confront and resolve controversy and conflict" Definition of consensus (noun), form: consensuses: a collective unanimous opinion of a number of persons Business and political analysts have pointed out a number of problems with consensus decision-making. A too-strict requirement of consensus may effectively give a small self-interested minority group veto power over decisions. Decision by consensus may take an extremely long time to occur, and thus may be intolerable for urgent matters, e.g. those of executive decisions. In some cases, consensus decision-making may encourage groupthink, a situation in which people modify their opinions to reflect what they believe others want them to think, leading to a situation in which a group makes a decision that none of the members individually think is wise. It can also lead to a few dominant individuals making all decisions. Finally, consensus decision-making may fail in a situation where there simply is no agreement possible, and interests are irreconcilable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus |
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