# Decision Making Principles and Practices

## Introduction

The better resource I use on this topic is the book [***27 Decision making principles and practices***](https://leanpub.com/decision-making-principles) from [Jimmy Janlen](https://twitter.com/jimmyjanlen) 

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCRh_xcSKUceIXxy1zD%2F-MCRiBGkPBCghjM6JTaB%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=a95b946a-33c5-45e3-b6b6-8a386e38984b)

I strongly invite you to buy the book on leanpub. In this post I will just give some pieces of it.

Self-organized teams need to master the skill of having efficient and constructive discussions that engage and involve everyone.

{% hint style="info" %}
Teams must learn :

* How to reach strong inclusive agreements
  * With clear decisions and next steps
* How to make decisions fast
  {% endhint %}

### What is the risk of failing in decision making ?

Often teams struggle in this area and get stuck in decision paralysis. It doesn’t serve anyone and can really block from being competitive.

Failing to agree as a team, resorting to “***the boss decides***”.

It will undermine commitment, create conflicts and grudges, and quickly compromising the team.

## Always have a facilitator

{% hint style="success" %}
Always ensure you have a facilitator for each and every meeting
{% endhint %}

If you don't have a dedicated facilitator in your team you can :

* Elect one at the beginning of the meeting
* Rotate the facilitator responsibility (according to you)
  * For each meeting
  * Per week
  * Per sprint
  * Whatever

## How to propose ?

Before deciding anything we need to work on how to propose something. It's the first step before getting ready for decision taking.

### Present, Discuss, Improve

* Allow the person with an idea to present the proposal
* If a proposal has emerged through a discussion
  * Nominate a team member to summarize and present the proposal as he/she has understood it
  * This person becomes the temporary facilitator

During the presentation everyone takes notes.

Once the presentation is done :

* Clarifying questions are asked
* Ideas for improving the proposal are discussed
* Concerns are raised, and if possible used to further **improve the proposal**

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCRlOROLMfe1kT3HOOd%2F-MCRlzmTllcrnzYHpSJl%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=1d993af3-6b30-4250-adea-3bd960477d42)

### Survey with fist of five 

Participants express their current opinion about the direction of the discussion and the emerging proposal by voting with their fingers.

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCRpqVv1WTsIhNpURSl%2F-MCRpw6eTq6d5_fv5NAa%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=e06cf0a8-4fc6-4324-93c4-010d6845e1e2)

On a scale from 1 to 5, "***How much closer do you think we are to an acceptable proposal ?***" :

* 1 : far, far, far away
* 5 : We have reached an acceptable proposal

{% hint style="success" %}
Sometimes, despite discussions and concerns the group as a whole might actually agree that there is an acceptable proposal.
{% endhint %}

### Design proposals as experiment

Design a proposal as an experiment invites you to identify concerns that should be paid particular attention to in the evaluation. 

* What is the hypothesis? 
* How would we know if the decision has the intended impact? 
* How can we evaluate? 
* How would we be able to gauge or measure whether or not we need to revisit the decision and make adjustments, or try something else? 
* Can we set a date for an evaluation or retrospective?

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCS9RdupGl_R2PLt5aO%2F-MCS9WEgckemSDsREBD8%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=ac1670b5-c3f1-4d40-a4f6-75900c584f6d)

I like to use this simple template when I formulate an experiment :

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCRpqVv1WTsIhNpURSl%2F-MCRs0x_pQVmJxQJEAhc%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=12977289-cdea-4cac-a40f-9999676181aa)

It forces us to formulate our experiment and structure them.

##  How to decide ?

Techniques to decide with consent.

### Definitions

* ***Consent decision making*** – the proposal is decided in the absent of qualified objection.
* ***Consensus*** - everyone must agree with the proposal.
* ***Good enough proposal*** - means the proposal is clear enough for you. You trust that the

  team is capable of dealing with challenges and problems as they surface in a responsible manner.
* ***Safe enough*** - refers to the danger of failing. Is it safe enough to try, and then inspect and adapt?

### Consent voting

It’s way faster than consensus more inclusive and collaborative in nature than a democratic majority vote.

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCS4jcB6qNos44Es6qh%2F-MCS4kyURvDMZpt73ZSp%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=dac4138d-f311-4f4e-88b3-099d9a813a30)

* **No thumbs down** : a decision has been made and that the proposal has been

  accepted.

  * Thumbs sideways or closed fists
    * Ask those members to share why they voted like this
    *  Clarify that the decision has been made
    * But it's always valuable to have their points of view
      * It's not the time to reopen a debate
* **Thumbs down :** The proposal didn’t go through.
  * Ask the people to share their perspective on 
    * Why this would be a bad thing ?
    * What harm it might cause ? 
  * They could find a way to reformulate the proposal so that everyone is happy with the content.

### Declare intent and ask for objections

Sometimes you can declare decision mandate yourself. **For decisions that don’t impact the whole team, don’t be afraid to simply state you intentions**. 

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCS920AfRSsy9kGB9zy%2F-MCS9NdvfLFmwjYa9qtC%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=e8ec10aa-32a4-42c1-8000-d412f4889fc7)

* Clearly share what you intend do, and why. 
* Ask if anyone objects.
* If no one objects, thank the team for their trust.

{% hint style="success" %}
*Working with objection is even more relevant in this Covid period. Asking for objection only and set a deadline will increase your team decision pace.*
{% endhint %}

### Dot voting

Dot‐voting is an effective voting and sorting technique to order suggestions by popularity.

* Agree on how many dot‐votes each person gets
  * If unsure, go for three dots each as a default
* Each person can distribute the points as he/she want (3 dots on the same topic or 1 dot on 3 different post-its)
* Once voting is done, rearrange the Post‐its according to the results

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCSD3Ns-U5jeDKSrH2h%2F-MCSDCykV3ROomM0dF1o%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=64f434cb-5307-473f-bcfb-2fad2ce4c89f)

## What to do when you are stuck ?

How to help the team have good, valuable and constructive discussions, that involve and ***engage everyone.***

### **Make decisions smaller**

One approach to make progress when stuck in a discussion around a proposal, or when you as team fail to agree on a way forward, is to r***educe the size of the proposal or slice up the decisions to be made***.

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCS9l9ZMdC0fVqBrVr7%2F-MCS9ymv4qneR0lxWxRe%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=321db5f8-111d-4e22-9e85-c669e60d81c8)

### Delegate decision mandate

One approach to make faster progress can be to delegate to a smaller group (can be nominated or volunteers). That group hashes out the details of a proposal, AND are given mandate and trust to make the actual decision.

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCSA6pb7BJZ_B1zyYd4%2F-MCSADTvnLpOTHx_cOIb%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=14ea5f37-8066-492f-8a8c-3163ff59c26c)

### Clarify Statu Quo

***Dont' take a decision just because you have to. Sometimes Status quo is a perfectly valid outcome.***

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCSBHKmPr-eaEp-PS3v%2F-MCSBMG5SUU38V-bsr_k%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=7b9ee3af-fa2f-4b3d-b969-5abd93b294cb)

If the proposal is not agreed upon :

* Clarify what will remain the same
* What will still be unclear
* Which risks will remain unmitigated
* ...

### When critical accountable decides

If the team fails to agree upon a decision, being stuck in discussions or having every proposal blocked, the default principle can be to ***delegate the decision to a single person, the accountable***. It's the last resort solution.

To do so, accountability must be crystal clear (see Delegation Poker).

## **How to stimulate** **t**eam wisdom ?

Make everyone heard

When a heated discussion has been going on for a while and only a few members vocally engage, call a timeout and do a round. 

Ask everyone to briefly share :

* What they think
* How they feel the dialog is going
* What opinion they have

### Individual thinking then share

Start with individual thinking, then share with the whole team.

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCSCMZfbmNhXLg8P8tu%2F-MCSCzMvQxTg61kNbV4-%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=c27f0705-8637-4ef1-8600-bf396838b01e)

### Collaborative proposals (1-2-4-All)

It is a workshop format designed to quickly generate a collaborative and inclusive proposal. 

It is a liberating structure documented [**here**](http://www.liberatingstructures.com/1-1-2-4-all/).

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCSDnW8730_0DP2DvA0%2F-MCSE9NVeBQO4HXrBidf%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=2e3a85a2-7efc-43c8-bba1-c2e4d035eb99)

* Everyone individually drafts a proposal in silence - **3'**
* In pair, share and explain their draft to each other - **2'**
  * Provide feedback on what they like and don’t like
* The pair puts away their drafts and creates a joint proposal, building on both their drafts as inspiration - **3'**
* Each pair presents their proposal to another pair - **2'**
* The two pairs joins up as a group of four, designing a joint proposal. - **4'**
* Each group presents their proposal to the whole team.
* Vote on most popular proposal.

## How to structure discussions ?

How to help the team have good, valuable and constructive discussions, that involve and engage everyone.

### Parking lot

To maintain focus / avoid the frustration of leaving important concerns unresolved :

* capture the unanswered question on a Post‐it 
* Put it up on the parking‐lot area on a board

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCSF5WIFjkRMkryC17g%2F-MCSF7zbz9brDP43TFz4%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=16f74b44-bb0b-4605-ae50-aff30aebfd6f)

It acknowledges that the question is important, which can help people bring their focus back to the original discussion.

### Timebox

Set a strict constraint on the time we allow ourselves to invest in a topic or in a discussion.

## How to strengthen commitment ?

Maximize the probability of the agreements becoming reality by strengthening each individual’s commitment to the decisions.

### Summarize actions and owners

For each and every ToDo, make sure there is a name associated with it.

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCSFcR317LK1ezt0Yjj%2F-MCSFtaIt09pcMVzAxNe%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=c572cb44-2152-4ae6-bfcf-9a8d425123bc)

### DIBB rationale narrative

A framework to test if you can tell a comprehensive story on why you decided on what you did.

![DIBB is created by Spotify and is part of “Spotify Rhythm”](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCS3v1joMSs9iH3m6km%2F-MCS3vUOvG_ahNz-xBjf%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=dafbc49e-b541-4082-9e61-a97896348194)

* What DATA did you look at? 
  * What were your sources? 
  * Was it quantitative or qualitative? 
* Which INSIGHTS and conclusions did you draw from the data? 
* What are your BELIEFS now? 
  * Which hypotheses have you formulated? 
* Does this reasoning connect to the action you BET will reach the desired outcome?

It helps to have a structured dialog in which you invite people to challenge the data, insights and beliefs, providing other perspectives and alternatives, as opposed to have a purely opinion driven dialog.

### Architecture Decision Record

In Software Architecture it's a document that captures an important architectural decision made along with its context and consequences.

You can use a template and structure your decisions log with this format :

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCSAfqR9mCje-RXuysf%2F-MCSB9gLVdn_5kL49euw%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=a302e7c3-13d1-44f2-b57c-b6a7710631e5)

## Clarify team decision scope with Delegation Poker

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCS8qFlNciqVKev6266%2F-MCS8wpfXYSOWImc8kUl%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=a1d7894a-0d4d-47c3-8284-34f0dff02cba)

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCS8qFlNciqVKev6266%2F-MCS9-5Xkte-aUdsTnwu%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=83c80a3b-edcb-4c9f-96f4-e54e2678c80a)

## Reading notes

![](https://1936518372-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MAffO8xa1ZWmgZvfeK2%2F-MCRit4-G6uc-cY0XrVY%2F-MCRj4y_aX9R1zZTAcIU%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=6cb0ae10-dc74-467d-9f31-daf630c901db)