Decision-Making, and Group Leadership - Assignment Example

Decision making and leadership in groups : how do groups generate ideas and make decisions and what are the particular skills that are useful for groups and their leaders? Introduction In any human group a leader will emerge whether by strength of arm, charismatic personality, or because he or she has particular skills the group need, or perhaps because they are able to relate well to others and can bring out the best in others. They cannot however be a leader without a group and the members of such a group will often be advisers and decision makers. Types of leader Some leaders are self-elected, but others emerge because of group consensus. Many modern leaders are in industry, rather than political or religious. These industrial leaders and their groups use a number of different methods to make decisions and problem solve. An example is Steve Jobs, considered to have been an industry leader (Steve Jobs Bio, 2013). Jobs was a great innovator, an ideas man, but he was notorious at upsetting many people. Yet when he died he was eulogised by so many people. His genius overcame his negatives, but he didn’t often consult with others. He told them what to do. Pope Francis is another very different sort of leader, an elected one, but elected not by the majority of Catholics, but by an elite, presumably because they considered him to be the best person for the task. He leads in a number of ways – according to historical precedent, but also because of his individual and very personal style. He is prepared to listen to others, as is taking place at the present synod on the family ( National Catholic Reporter, 2014) though it must be admitted that he mainly listens to the cardinals. It seems he is prepared to take advice and there are procedures in place for communications back and forth. Kings inherit their leadership, but even they have to rely upon the backing up of their people or they will fall and be replaced as occurred in the French Revolution. In modern industry most, but not all, leaders gradually climb the ranks, although some of course join part way up the hierarchy as in the case of graduates, or members of the bosses family. Such leaders consult with those lower down for a number of reasons and in various ways. The makeup of decision making groups Whatever the type of leadership, and how they became leaders, they cannot operate without followers, perhaps employees, a group. That group will need to make decisions, and in the modern world this is almost often a participatory process as the group gather to meet challenges, progress and deal with problems. It will include such things as evaluating and considering several courses of action. It may be that everyone is involved, or it could be a particular group , as when a committee in parliament meets to discuss an issue and to produce a report to be considered by all members. The numbers involved in actually making decisions will vary very much according to both the particular organisation and the type of decision that needs to be made. Is it for instance something a catering committee can deal with, or does it involve the spending of massive amounts of money nationally and require a particular expertise? The demographics will also alter depending upon a number of factors. Is there an executive who take all decisions, with or without consultation with others. Do the workforce as a whole vote on certain matters? Do teams make decisions? Can everyone have their say, or only elected their representatives? There are many alternatives. Reasons why decisions are needed They may want to discuss or explain strategies , that is the way the group will move forward, why and how. In meetings they will consider strengths , weaknesses, but also opportunities and possible threats to future success, such as cheaper labour available elsewhere. If leaders are sensible there will be opportunities for feedback, even voting, rather than just a downward flow of information. Another reason for meetings and consultations might be to solve a particular problem. These meetings ask questions such as ‘Why did this go wrong?’ ‘What can be done?’ and ‘What changes need to be made and what will this cost?’ This kind of meeting can be to solve a particular short term problem such as how can a particular contract be fulfilled, or it could be about a longer term problem such as how can the company better compete in the global trade. A discussion may be needed to decide an operational matter such as staffing levels, new ventures and so on. These sort of decisions could be made by an elite leadership, and more often were in the past, but todays wise leaders know that it is better if the workforce are behind an idea, and, because they have an input, they are more likely to do so (Scholl, 2003). Evaluation is another reason for consultation. This could be about the setting out of necessary criteria for a particular procedure. It could also be about evaluating a process which is already happening. Questions will consider such factors as effectiveness, but also should include safety and ethical issues. Evaluation requires asking the right questions and also feedback from those who operate at all levels. Such feedback then needs to be collated, assessed and suggestions for future development arrived at, before executive decisions can be made. Such evaluation should be more than a one off matter, so procedures and protocols need to be written, but there also needs to be the possibility of future change. An example of this might be when a government sets up a group to consider a particular issue such as when the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry considered the state of aboriginal children and produced their report, Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle: ‘Little Children are Sacred’(2007). As a result of that report, which would have involved consulting many people, a number of procedures were set in place. In this case these were not as successful as was first hoped, and so further changes have had to be made. This ongoing method of adjusting and gaining experience should ultimately result in a better option. Group decision making is usually a better option than one down decisions made by one person or a small elite. It produces a more integrated result, and takes into account many more ideas and opinions. Group members feel represented, and their group and individual interests can be involved into any criteria used when decisions are made. It is also a better method as more factors will be taken into consideration from the shop floor upwards. Group members may have particular expertise and so consulting them, rather than simply telling them, should logically lead to better decisions being made. Also if a number of people are involved then the number of new ideas generated should increase. Leadership Roles Leaders may take up one of several roles. They may be executive only , that is having administrative authority. They may also be facilitators - enabling others to best carry out their roles, providing the means perhaps for team members to hone or increase their skills. They may be delegators, recognising particular needs and choosing people to take on particular roles. It could be argues that a good leader needs to be all of these three things. Methods of Decision Making Decisions can be made by groups in a number or ways. Some of these are more formal than others. Brainstorming for instance can be very informal. Either the whole group or a number of smaller sub groups simply come up with a number of ideas on a topic. These may be ranked or not. Each contribution has equal worth in the first instance and enable the group to think widely about a topic. This stage is about generating ideas. Perhaps several subgroups will come up with the same concept, or one particular contribution opens them up to a new way of thinking. Later the results of brainstorming may be put down in a more formal way, but this relaxed beginning is a good one which allows ideas to emerge. The next stage is to evaluate the various ideas which emerge. So the group is asked ‘If we adopt this what are the implications? Gradually the large number of ideas will be coalesced into a much smaller number of possibilities. It could then be that this small group then go forward to a more formal decision making process. In a brainstorming group there may be those who are hesitant about putting their ideas, however good, forward. Perhaps they are very junior or simply shy, or they make not want their ideas to be mocked. A way in which some companies have got round this is to set up the means of electronic brainstorming, perhaps in chat rooms. This could even be done anonymously. It also means that everyone does not have to be in one place at one time. It could be done over an extended period – a few days or even longer. Another method which can be used is a dialectical enquiry. The members of a group are divided into two groups who will then consider both sides of a question – the pros and cons of taking a particular course of action. Such a group would often require a lot of information be gathered first. Possible costs for instance, or the amount of retraining required or new staff taken on , and so on. Another method is the nominal group technique. Individuals are called upon to prepare a presentation of one of their ideas. As presentations are made no decisions are made, but perhaps there may be requests for clarifications or more information. There is a lack of criticism at this stage as it might inhibit the presenter from properly explaining their idea. This is done in turn and then the group can discuss these alternatives, eventually arriving at ranking them as possibilities. This method can be used whether or not the members of the group are in one place or not. They could physically present their idea or they could send it in the form of an e-mail or other method, from a distance. This has the advantage in that members of the group have written words to consider and can re-read as they feel necessary. Overcoming problems with group decision making Group decision making does have a few problems. A very demographically diverse group may for instance have to overcome social barriers, perceived or real. On the other hand such a diverse group meeting in an informal and non-threatening way as possible is the most likely to come up with a wider variety of possibilities (University of Vermont 1996). Such groups do however require some form of leadership in the guise of a facilitator. He or she will keep the group on topic. They may summarize what has been said, or be able to link ideas ‘Isn’t that like….’. They should be able to present problems and questions to be answered without placing blame, but it is the group who must come up with solutions and answers. Conclusion In the distant past most decisions were made by only an elite. Society has moved on. Group decision making is an important part of modern life, whether it is electing a member of a future government, or a group of children deciding upon the rules for a game. It is an important tool for businesses and industry and should be well used if the most positive solutions and new ideas are to be arrived at. References National Catholic Reporter (2014) Among first synod discussions: changing harsh language, trying 'graduality' Retrieved from http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/among-first-synod-discussions-changing-harsh-language-trying-graduality Northern Territory Board of Inquiry (2007) Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle: ‘Little Children are Sacred’, Retrieved from www.inquirysaac.nt.gov.au/pdf/bipacsa_final_report.pdf Steve Jobs, (2013) Bio, Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/steve-jobs-9354805#synopsis Scholl, R., (2003) Group decision making and problem solving, The University of Rhode Island, Retrieved from http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/scholl/webnotes/Group_DM.htm University of Vermont, ( 1996) Making Group Decisions, Retrieved from https://www.uvm.edu/crs/resources/citizens/decision.htm Word Count 1946. Read More