Consensus

Arrive at agreement--agreeably

By Joan Richardson

Tools for Schools, April/May 2004

Each time a school or district forms a team, study group, or working group to explore an issue, there is usually an underlying assumption that these groups will operate on consensus. Team members will not take formal votes but reach an understanding about what should be done and how it should be done.

But how does a group of individuals--especially a group that is not accustomed to working together--arrive at 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.

Here is a process that Hoffman and Ness created and have used with dozens of groups and teams in their work in Washington.

Preparation Phase

Groups should spend some time in the beginning establishing how they will work together and exactly what work they will do.

1. State the situation.

One of a principal's key responsibilities with any team is ensuring that the group understands what it is expected to do. Hoffman suggests that the principal verbally explain her expectations to the group and then work with the group to put those expectations into a written charge statement.

Questions that the group answers in this document include: What is the team's goal? Is this group making a decision, advising on a decision that will be made by another group, or collecting information that will be used by another decision-making body? What products is the group expected to produce? How often will the group meet? Who will set the agenda? What are the operating norms for the group? What budgetary constraints must the team work within? What is the deadline for this work?

Hoffman said discussing the group's understanding and expectation for its work helps reduce the possibility of confusion. "We assume everybody's working on the same problem but often we're not," Hoffman said.

Write the situation on a flip chart so everyone can view it. Each team member reviews the situation and signs the chart paper to indicate that he or she believes the statement is accurate. If some participants are confused, the team continues to discuss the situation until everyone is clear.

2. Identify the group's operating norms.

Understanding the behavioral expectations for the group is as important as understanding the group's goal. Although spelling out a group's norms may feel awkward in a small group, knowing those expectations can eliminate confusion and misunderstandings down the road.

For example, team members might want to say out loud that each meeting will begin at the agreed-upon time, that participants will not grade homework during the team meeting, but that participants are allowed to bring snacks and drinks to the meeting table.

For more about setting a group's norms, see the Aug./Sept. 1999 issue of Tools for Schools, www.nsdc.org/library/publications/tools/tools8-99rich.cfm.

Possibilities Phase

This is a time to get as many options on the table as possible. During the possibilities phase, the facilitator is responsible for ensuring that the group does not begin evaluating individual options which could damage the process.

3. Brainstorm options.

After the team has done its reading, interviews, and examined the necessary data, it is ready to identify various options for action. Participants are encouraged to let the ideas flow without trying to sell or explain their ideas.

Several styles of brainstorming could be used: free-for-all where everyone verbally shares ideas; a round-robin in which each participant takes a turn and shares one idea; journaling in which participants write down all of their ideas and then share with the entire group.

Whichever form of brainstorming is chosen, all ideas eventually are announced publicly and written on a flip chart.

4. Dialogue about the options.

Once a list of options is created, the group spends time ensuring that each participant understands each option. Participants ask clarifying questions and share examples to ensure that everyone understands each option fully. The group avoids evaluating the options.

Probing Phase

Where the first two phases open up and broaden the decision-making process, the final two phases narrow possibilities by analyzing and eliminating options.

5. Eliminate unacceptable options.

Quickly eliminate options for which team members have little enthusiasm or support. Invite participants to vote by placing sticky dots next to their favorite options. (Calculate one third the total number of options on the list. If there are 15 options on the list, give each participant five sticky dots.)

6. Develop criteria for evaluating remaining options.

As the team moves into decision making, participants must be clear about the standards that will be used to evaluate the acceptability of each option. "A group will reach consensus more easily when all participants apply the same criteria," Hoffman said.

Using the tool on Page 3 (available to members only in the PDF version), guide the group through an activity to name criteria and then apply those criteria to the options it has identified.

"This process make visual what people are thinking so the team does not fall into the trap of the loudest voices making the choices," Hoffman said.

8. Discuss the options.

Using the Levels of Yes and No tool on Page 4 (available to members only in the PDF version), the facilitator guides the team through a discussion of each remaining option. Any team member who does not support an option should state his or her concern. The team responds by trying to problem solve those concerns. The discussion continues until most of the team supports the option.

Declaring Phase

When an option has achieved the support of most of the group and everyone has been able to influence the choices, the group moves into the declaring phase. In this phase, the group takes the final steps to ensure that everyone has been heard, knows they have been heard, and agrees to move together into implementation.

9. Determine levels of support.

Before participants can determine their level of commitment to an option, they must understand what the group expects for each level of commitment.

Create a chart with categories labeled "minimal support," "moderate support," "proactive support," and "maximum support." Solicit and chart ideas from the group about what each level of support looks like.

10. Declare the group's decision.

The facilitator reminds the group that it has agreed on a definition of consensus and that the group has reached a consensus on the option it will pursue.

Using the Commitment Continuum on Page 6 (available to members only in the PDF version), invite participants to declare their level of support for implementing the option.