Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Team Decision-Making

Social loafing is where, in a group situation, individuals decrease the effort they put into a task, so do less than their ‘fair share’ of the team’s work. This occurs when team members have joint ownership for the outcomes of a project. Social loafers recognize that their contribution is hidden by the whole team effort, or assume someone else will carry out the work.

When one person acts in this way, it can have detrimental effects on the rest of the group. Other members can begin to feel hard done by, and so reduce their efforts accordingly. This interferes with decision-making and the overall effectiveness of the team.

3. New Information

In team decision-making situations, there is a tendency for team members to focus on the information everyone has access to before the discussion occurs. They may ignore any new information that is introduced to the discussion that possibly only one or two people know about.

4. Personality Factors

People’s personalities can sometimes present a barrier to effective decision-making. For example, shyness can prevent someone from offering their opinion, or a dominant personality may try to influence the opinions of others. If members of the group have poor communication skills, this can seriously hinder the sharing of knowledge and opinions.

5. Status

If a team comprises very senior or influential people, some members may feel hesitant in expressing their views, and more value may be placed on the opinions of certain individuals.

6. Group Polarization

Teams can sometimes make more extreme decisions than an individual would. This can work either way. The group may make more risky decisions if there is consensus of ‘yes’ views, or more reserved decisions if there is consensus of ‘no’ views in the group.

7. Competition

If the group is particularly vocal and people have to compete to speak, the quantity of the decisions aired can be lessened.

Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Decision-Making

• Ensure equality in the workload given to individuals and assign accountability for tasks.
• Explain the importance of the decision to be made, as the task must be meaningful to the group. You may even consider a reward scheme for successful decisions.
• Poor group cohesion can be a barrier to group processes such as decision-making. Where the group has a strong identity, the team matters to individuals and they will work hard for the sake of the team.
• Subgroups can be effective for overcoming groupthink. When the teams work in smaller groups, members don’t feel the full force of group consensus and differing opinions are less likely to be quashed. The smaller groups can then report back to the main group.
• Build internal checks to reappraise your objectives and think through the consequences of team decisions. After decisions have been made, there should be a process in place to make sure the team have got it right. For example, build time into the agenda to review the decision. It is also good practice to hold a ‘think again meeting’ at least a few days after the decision has been made to evaluate ideas and consider the alternatives.
• Discuss doubt and welcome new ideas. Constructive conflict is one of the most effective ways of ensuring effective decision-making.
• Introduce diversity into the team. This may be members of a different team, organization, group, etc. that can offer different opinions and challenge the team’s assumptions and the status quo. It is a good idea to develop informal networks of relationships within and outside the organization for access to different perspectives on an ongoing basis. It can also be valuable to bring experts into the group to offer additional information and evaluate the team’s ideas.
• In order that new information is recognized, make sure team roles are clearly defined so that each person is seen as a potential source of important information. Team leaders also have a crucial role in stressing the importance of new information to the team.
• Generate a safe atmosphere. If team members feel a lack of trust and support, they are less likely to offer their opinions. Make sure the team know that they each have responsibility for creating a climate of safety by encouraging others to offer views and providing support.
• Generate a culture of listening. Whoever is leading the meeting should make sure everyone gets the chance to contribute to the discussion.

Techniques to Overcome Barriers to Effective Decision-Making

The Stepladder Technique[1]

Inform each team member of the issue/decision to be made before the decision-making session. Allow sufficient time for people to think through the issue and carry out any research/information gathering.

At the beginning of a decision-making session, each person in turn can present their ideas. Alternatively, they can circulate their thoughts around the team before the meeting, e.g. via email. The decision-making process and discussions can begin once everyone has presented their thoughts.

By allowing people to present their ideas before the decision-making process begins, communication is improved, a greater quantity and range of ideas can be produced, individual accountability is clear and conformity of ideas is inhibited.

Negative Brainstorming

This technique promotes critical thinking and is a way of testing decisions. It can help identify any fundamental weaknesses in the decision and makes the team consider alternatives and contingency plans.

Look at a decision that the team has made and brainstorm all the possible negative outcomes or consequences of that decision. Pick out the four or five most significant issues and examine these in detail with the team. You can then work with the team to modify the decision accordingly.