When to Use Consensus for Team Decisions

Consensus team decision making typically takes a long time. The benefit? When a decision has been made by consensus, the buy in and support from team members beats nothing else.

So when should you use consensus for team decision making? Below are some guidelines to help your team determine when consensus should be used.

• When the decision affects all members of the team.
• When the decision will have a long-term impact on the team’s performance.
• When the implementation of the solution requires coordination among team members.
• When the decision requires the experience and skills of many team members.
• When the decision involves a critical work challenge requiring the full commitment of the team.
• When the team is not working under emergency conditions and has the time to make the decision.