Developing People and Teams [P1]: Facilitation - Agile Coach Toolkit #6: Building Consensus

Question 1

Before going for a team discussion, what things would benefit you if you knew them?

Answer 1

personalities you are engaging with and usingRoot Cause Analysis (like 9 whys) in one-to-one conversation to uncover any personality conflicts between the participants

Question 2

What are some steps for building consensus

Answer 2

• Have everyone understand the meaning of giving consent by encouraging them to think about what’s best for the entire team rather than individuals.
• Clearly articulate what needs to be decided. It may be a good idea to also layout why the issue is being raised.
• Before pitching for lengthy discussion, do a quick poll to check if there is consensus. If majority of the team agrees to a solution, listen to the concerns of dissenters. Adapt the popular solution to get their points addressed so we have a win-win solution.
• If there is a disagreement amongst team members, allow everyone to voice their concerns during the discussion so their ideas can be included. It would be a good idea to list them to ensure these get addressed.
• List Scrum Values and ask people the follow them throughout the discussion.
• Leverage[Timeboxing]to ensure that you curtail lengthy discussions.
• For final decision, do another poll to see if majority of the team agrees. Dissenter (if any), can serve as critical evaluator of the implementation of team decision. This may help spot issues before rest of the team can see it.
• Ensure that the team decision is communicated at the end of the meeting