The distinguishing characteristics of teams making quality decisions include their ability to focus on the unanswered questions. This interactive live webinar teaches leaders or facilitators of decision boards how to (1) mitigate biases and focus the conversation on what needs to be answered, (2) apply diagnostic skills to identify and redirect limiting talk, and (3) use facilitation methods that ensure balanced engagement. Limited to 16 participants to ensure maximum engagement.
Designing and Leading Productive Decision Board Sessions
When decision boards fail to think of themselves as part of the decision process but rather more like the judge and the jury of the final proposal, they limit their mindset. That can compromise decision quality since this limited mindset fails to promote the following behaviors that characterize and effective decision board:
- Evaluating the nature of the challenge the board is facing and the implications of a “no decision”
- Getting clarity on key stakeholders and potential implications for each of the agreed-upon objectives, and the likely tradeoffs to be optimized during the process
- Probing the key uncertainties of each option and understanding what the team has found that may be critical to their choice
- Ensuring that board members have insight into why or why not a fellow board member sees things differently
This 4-hour 2-day live webinar explores the questioning and facilitation techniques for fostering the behaviors and mindsets essential to decision quality. Designed for seasoned decision facilitators, project managers, and leaders.
Questions Asked by Past Participants
- How do I handle the leader in the room who jumps right to “choose alternative” and anchors the process at the end instead of the beginning?
- How do I get the DRB to focus on the key decisions?
- Our decision board members tend to default to becoming the final arbitrators and try to find holes in our thinking – how to respond?
- What methods can I use to engage my decision board more fully? Some show up and don’t seem to know why they are there.
- My decision board members tend to ask more detailed questions that reflect their previous technical backgrounds. I don’t need another geologist on the team! How do I mitigate this?
- How do I deal with the very powerful voices in the room?
- When an upper manager says something, I don’t get the sense that the rest of the decision board fully understands his perspective, but no one asks for clarity. Should I step in?
- We have way too much advocacy vs. inquiry.
- As a decision leader, how can I ensure my team is telling me what is REALLY on their minds, and not just repeating what I am saying?