{"id":11160,"date":"2022-04-04T11:10:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T03:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.ekipa.co\/insights\/blogs\/how-to-make-progress-with-decisions-that-are-blocked\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T20:33:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T12:33:04","slug":"consent-vs-consensus-to-make-progress-on-difficult-decisions","status":"publish","type":"insights_articles","link":"https:\/\/ekipa.co\/en-sg\/insights\/blogs\/consent-vs-consensus-to-make-progress-on-difficult-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make progress with difficult decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Making progress on difficult decisions – A view between consent vs consensus<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\r\n
Image Credits : FreePik<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Quote: <\/em>\u201cNothing is what happens when everyone has to agree\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/a> – Seth Godin<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I have been working with an executive team that has found themselves in circular discussions around important decisions. It has resulted in frustration with many decision-deadlocks falling on the already-too-busy CEO to make the final call.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We have been exploring the concept of Consent vs Consensus decision-making, alongside ensuring clear accountabilities, to untangle why decisions become circular.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Consent vs Consensus:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Consensus decision-making is when you seek agreement before finalising a decision.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The downside with consensus decision-making is that often decision finalisation can become circular – with any suggestion of disagreement causing the need for repeated conversation. Circular conversations are frustrating – for both those who agree and disagree.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Consent decision-making does not require agreement to finalise a decision. Consent decision-making is when you process whether there are any significant objections before finalising a decision.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Consent Decision-Making process:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A consent decision-making approach minimises frustration by following these steps to reach a decision:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \r\n
  1. \u00a0Be clear<\/strong> on who is the accountable decision-maker.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  2. The accountable decision-maker listens<\/strong> to everyone\u2019s collective wisdom and knowledge and shares their final decision.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  3. Ask the following question: \u201cWill this decision outcome cause harm?<\/strong>\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  4. If the answer is yes, then we collaborate around what the objector is seeing or sensing.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  5. The accountable decision-maker makes the final decision once all of the objections have been heard and processed.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    \"\"
    \r\n
    Consent Decision Making Process<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    What\u2019s essential to support consent-based decision making:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      \r\n
    1. Clear accountabilities<\/a> on who is responsible for the decision outcome<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    2. Acknowledgement and the ability to adapt and course-correct if the decision was wrong<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      \u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Note:<\/strong> Consent based decision-making still requires collaboration and curiosity – to understand the enterprise system view to make an informed, accountable decision.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Bonus – Disagree & Commit:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      One tool that the Amazon leadership team uses when they find themselves in disagreement with the final decision is to say, \u201cI disagree and commit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Disagreeing and committing creates a foundation of team trust – that you do have team commitment even though you do not have perfect agreement.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Making progress on difficult decisions – A view between consent vs consensus Quote: \u201cNothing is what happens when everyone has to agree\u201d – Seth Godin I have been working with an executive team that has found themselves in circular discussions around important decisions. It has resulted in frustration with many decision-deadlocks falling on the already-too-busy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":10771,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","insights_tag":[208],"article_categories":[321,345],"insights_types":[310],"class_list":["post-11160","insights_articles","type-insights_articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","insights_tag-featured","article_categories-uncategorized","article_categories-insights","insights_types-blogs"],"yoast_head":"\nConsent vs Consensus for Difficult Decision Progress<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A consent decision-making approach minimises frustration of having to make progress on difficult decisions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ekipa.co\/en-sg\/insights\/blogs\/consent-vs-consensus-to-make-progress-on-difficult-decisions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Decision-Making - How to make progress with difficult decisions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Decision-Making is simply the process of making a choice. 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