The Decision-Making Trap

Why Consensus Can Cripple Your Organization

Great companies make good decisions, and they make them fast. But what happens when decision-making gets stuck? Often, the culprit is a culture of consensus.

How Consensus Cultures Stall Progress

Consensus cultures don’t proceed with an idea unless everyone involved agrees that it’s the right thing to do. This dynamic creates a decision-making trap that goes like this…

• The more important the decision, the higher the stakes
• The higher the stakes, the more we worry about the outcomes
• The more we worry, the more likely we are to be strongly attached to our preferences
• Getting to 100% agreement is now much harder (and often impossible)
• The group is paralyzed

The more important the decision, the worse this trap becomes. Stuck in endless debate, your business loses agility and risks falling behind competitors.

The Power of Consent-Based Decision-Making

Consent flips the script. Here, everyone supports the decision by default unless they have a serious objection. This “stop the train only when necessary” approach prioritizes progress over complete agreement.

Think of it like this:

• Consensus: Everyone needs to agree on the exact destination.
• Consent: Everyone needs to be headed in the general direction.

You might not love every decision, but as long as the team is aligned, you can move forward and course-correct as needed.

This image shows a group making a decision. They have a set of opinions that don’t change but you can see that depending on the model for decision making, they end up with different outcomes.

Coaching Your Team from Consensus to Consent

If you suspect a consensus culture is holding you back, ask these questions:

1. Who owns this decision?
2. Who’s accountable for the outcome?
3. If you didn’t make a decision, what would happen?
4. Whose job is it to make sure all the facts are considered?
5. Who’s making sure the process is fair and transparent?
6. Who’s driving this decision to ensure it goes a fast as it can safely go?

These questions often reveal unclear roles and responsibilities, the root cause of the consensus trap.

Ready to Make Better Decisions?

Is your team struggling with slow or poor-quality decisions? Try the questions above, and consider our Decision Making & Accountability workshop.