TOPIC GROUP DECISION-MAKING

1. TOPIC GROUP DECISION-MAKING

2. Decisions are not about the decision-maker, but about those affected by the decision inside & outside the organization. • The surgeon controls what happens to the patient, but the patient has to live with it.

3. DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP DM • It’s easier to make a decision (by yourself) than it is to implement it (via others). BUT… • Unilateral/quick decisions are often erased by “Who cares?” implementation.

4. ADVANTAGES OF GROUP DM Group decisions are synergized by the 5 I’s of 360 communication: Insights, Ideas, Ideals, In-touch, Internalization

5. GROUP DYNAMICS QUICKSAND • Me zones • Comfort (EZ) zones • Experience gaps & “smallworld eyes” (low expectations) • Konformititis kills “electric” (impactful) decision-making

6. GROUP DYNAMICS GOLD MINE • Facts generation/analysis • Superordinate goals • C(oordination) O(rganization)R(eality) E(ducation) sessions • Agenda (personal + political) alarms • Possibility of authentic communication

7. 2 ORGDRAMAS

8. OD #1.USPS GROUP AGENDA ALARMS

9. How can the U. S. Post Office deal with its bankrupt operations & bleak future? (examples of the 9 types of group dynamics quick sand)

10. #1 “How about early retirements?” (me zone) #2 “Let’s merge with UPS.” (comfort zone) #3 (“To survive, USPS must cut back on service.” (smallworld eyes)

11. #4 “Just keep on raising the price of postage!” (konformititis) #5 “UPS currently controls more than half of the most profitable delivery markets in the U.S.” (facts) #6 “The USPS has always come through for common Americans & that’s still our goal.” (superordinate goal)

12. #7 “Let’s get together all of the USPS profit centers to parlay on a regular basis.” (C.O.R.E meeting) #8 “America must shut down govt services, starting with the P.O.!” (agenda alarm) #9 “USPS faces dire survival problems, so we better think radically!” (authentic communication)

13. OD #2. THE GROUP DECISION-MAKING MINE FIELD Translate please →

14. How goodofa AGENDA DECODER are you?

15. “How late do you think this meeting will run? (“I got better things to do than be at this meeting.”) “Ready to vote?” (“No more discussion please.”) “Any questions?” (“You’re going along with this, right?) “As you know…” (“since you’re one of us elite insiders.”)

16. “Let’s do a benchmarking study.” (“Let’s copy others so we can be one of them.”) “What did they do last year?” (“Let’s do it again.”) “What does the policy manual say?” (“Let’s follow the rules.”) “Going to the game Saturday?” (“I don’t wanna be here.”)