Leadership: Facilitating Collaborative Processes: Step Two
A Model for Facilitating Collaborative Processes
In this second in a series of four posts, I am focusing on the four steps in my model for facilitating collaborative processes. I’ve included the model as a reference, and in this post we’ll focus on the second step, Decide.
The Relentless Search for Better Ways
A Review of A Model for Facilitating Collaborative Processes:
Deliberate
• Thoughtful input (advance notice)
• Inquiry driven (ask & listen)
• What(s), why(s) & how(s)
Decide
• Choose/"Bless"
• Define Success
• Create Plan
Implement
• Ideas to Action
• Time for Deliberation is Over (for now)
• Team Players vs. Team Members
Improve
• Finding Better
• Processes & Outcomes
• Remember, Apply, Forget
Focusing on the Second Step: Decide
Deliberations are done in support of—not in lieu of—decision making. Too many organizations seem to get bogged down in endless deliberations. At some point facilitators must move the process forward, and the next step in collaborative processes is Decide. You’ll find the following three bullet points under this step:
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Choose/”bless”
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Define success
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Create plan
Choose/”bless”
Facilitators have two decision-making options. They can make the decisions themselves, or they can delegate decision-making authority to one or more of the participants in this process. If the facilitators are going to make the decisions themselves they should ensure that participants understand that going in. When inviting them to participate let them know that their input will be considered and that you will be making the decision regarding which changes to make.
The alternative to making decisions is delegating the authority to do so. Delegating decision-making authority will have positive impacts, not only on the people to whom such authority is delegated, but also on other participants in the process. When participants see evidence that leaders have faith in them and their judgment they will often raise their participation to higher levels. When other participants see this same evidence many of them will also become more actively engaged in the process.
There are also risks associated with delegation. Facilitators can minimize those risks by ensuring themselves that the people to whom they’re delegating this authority are capable of making sound decisions and by making themselves available to answer any questions they might have and to generally support them. This is especially important the first time a participant is delegated this authority.
Define success
What will have to happen for you to conclude that the changes you’re making are “better” ways and not just different? Identify the criteria you’ll use for assessing the merits of the changes you’re considering. I refer you back to the why(s) you identified in step one, Deliberate. Make sure that all the parties understand the potential benefits of making the changes you select and that you have established metrics for determining if the changes are delivering those benefits.
Create plan
You’ll notice that the next step in our model is Implement. One of the reasons that so many “good ideas” never come to fruition is because there are no plans for translating those ideas into action. In order to ensure that transition, I strongly encourage you to stay with this step until you have answers to the following question:
Who’ll do what by when?
If you can answer this question, you’ve got a start-up plan. If you can’t, you’ve got no plan, and you’ve got little or no chance of getting to the next step in our model, Implement.
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