Drive sound decision-making within your team and organization

Frame the issue.
Before assembling your team, ask yourself these questions: “What is the decision to be made?”, “Why does it warrant collective input?”, “Who’ll be involved in making the decision?”, “How will the final decision be made?” i.e., by majority rule, consensus, or by someone else after others have provided their input and recommendations. When you, as a leader, have framed the issues well, the rest of the team knows where to focus.

Spark the debate.
Remove anything that causes people to doubt themselves or any fear that makes them hold back. Make sure all ideas are indeed welcome, and then demand rigorous debates on the issue amongst your team.

Re-clarify the decision-making process.
After the issue has been vigorously debated, let your team know the next steps. Address questions such as: “Are we making the decision right now, or do we need more information?”, “Is this a team decision, or will the leader make the final call?”, “How will we resolve differing views if it’s a team decision?” and “Has anything that’s surfaced altered the decision-making process?” This sense of closure will ensure your team that their effort won’t be wasted, and they’d likely give 100% the next time!

Communicate the decision, and rationale behind it, to the organization.