HBR Guide to Leading Teams (HBR Guide Series) by Mary Shapiro

Author:Mary Shapiro
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Published: 2015-06-15T14:00:00+00:00

Look at the Context

We often associate teams with building consensus. Didn’t you pull your team together precisely because you wanted its members’ collective brainpower? Yet reaching consensus takes a lot of time and energy—sometimes more than it’s worth. Instead of using that as your default approach, consider which type of decision is best for the current situation. Ask yourself:

How much time do I have? If it’s in short supply, you may need to make the decision yourself or appoint someone on the team to do it.

Who has the expertise? When one or a few people within the team have greater insight about an issue because of their knowledge or experience, let them make the call—or at least a strong recommendation to the group.

Is growth a goal? If you want members to learn from a decision, spend time discussing it as a group rather than delegating it or making it on your own. Less-experienced members will benefit from hearing subject-matter experts debate which solution is optimal. Members can also develop key skills—such as advocating for a position or challenging someone’s point of view—through the decision-making process.

How much buy-in do I need? The greater the commitment you need from team members to implement a decision, the more you’ll want to build consensus or at least solicit their input. You’d probably want everyone’s buy-in when deciding on the team’s strategy for pitching to prospective clients, for example. However, you don’t need it to select the PowerPoint template you’ll use. Many of those supportive, operational decisions are best delegated to individuals or subgroups.

How much creativity does the decision require? If you’re trying to generate really fresh ideas—say you’re looking for a new fund-raising concept—don’t just sit down at your computer and type up what comes to mind. Ask others to contribute ideas or, better yet, conduct a brainstorming session. Once the team has come up with a long list of possibilities, you’ll shift to a different mode of decision making: evaluating and selecting (possibly through the nominal group technique described in chapter 5, “Agree on Rules of Conduct”).

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