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Making Group Decisions
February 20, 2015
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.
-Harper Lee
-Harper Lee
"Staff members are more likely to feel responsible for carrying out decisions they have taken part in making," observes Holly Elissa Bruno in What You Need to Lead an Early Childhood Program.
"Teams reach decisions by one of two methods — consensus or majority vote.... Groups reach consensus when a meeting of the minds about what action to take. The group gels and is ready to act as one, needing no further debate. With a consensus, no vote is necessary. A consensus is best reached after everyone has spoken on the issue. Before reaching consensus, make sure that concerns and doubts are voiced and resolved.... Rushing a consensus can result in a lukewarm commitment or sabotage the decision.
"Voting on an issue allows the majority to decide for the whole team. This can lead to a disgruntled minority. For this reason, decision making by consensus is usually more unifying. However, if your team's maturity level is high, voting can work. Those who lose the vote 'let go,' move on, and support the outcome. Make sure again that everyone who participated in the vote agrees to support the decision. Ask, 'Does anyone anticipate a problem carrying out this decision? If so, let's talk it over before we leave the room. We all need to be on the same page.'"
"What You Need to Lead an Early Childhood Program: Emotional Intelligence in Practice" is the first and only early childhood leadership book anchored in what matters most: the art and science of building relationships. Emotional intelligence is the ability to read people as well as you read books and to know how to use that information wisely. Each chapter begins with a case study that features richly complex, everyday challenges facing early childhood program directors. Alongside case studies are theory and principles, pointers and problem-solving steps to help you practice and hone your leadership skills.
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Offer expires February 20, 2015, at 11:59 pm PST.
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsAor International
Dallas, TX, United States
I experimented with group decisions with my kindergarten classes. We would vote about what snack we should have, and what book to read, altho every child did had a day to choose one book they wanted to have read. Implementing the High/Scope curriculum means children's choice is important in every part of the daily routine. Job lists helped children with name recognition, symbol recognition, counting skills and number recognition. Large group whole class story-writing included group consensus about what to write about also.
Aor International
Dallas, TX, United States
I experimented with group decisions with my kindergarten classes. We would vote about what snack we should have, and what book to read, altho every child did had a day to choose one book they wanted to have read. Implementing the High/Scope curriculum means children's choice is important in every part of the daily routine. Job lists helped children with name recognition, symbol recognition, counting skills and number recognition. Large group whole class story-writing included group consensus about what to write about also.
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