| Shared decision-making can be BIG mistake |
6/10/04 9:23 AM |
| Author:
Joe Nathan
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Over the last 30 years I've seen a number of disasters related to shared decision-making. This does NOT mean it is a bad idea. But here are a few mistakes people have made:
* Believing that every, most issues must be decided by consensus. This can bring about very, very lengthy meetings. The goal of new schools is not to give adults a chance to meet until 3 AM in the morning. The goal is to help young people.
* Not being clear about which decision is made by which group. This also can be enormously frustrating. One of the characteristics of the most effective schools is that faculty are clear about who makes which decisions. Wise schools are clear about this before they start - and have an on-going process to work this out as new issues come along.
* Believing that there is one best way to do things. At one school I helped start and worked in, we spent 2 days before the school opened trying to create the best possible schedule for classes and learning opportunities. Within a semester we had made major changes.
* Not being clear on who votes. This can produce a situation where people who have not been involved in a discussion, or reserach on an issue, come to a climatic meeting and dramatically change the decision. While there MUST be opportunity for input on many issues, allowing people to pack a meeting can be a very bad idea.
Done well, shared decision-making has the advantage of bringing in a variety of ideas, and building broad support for decisions. But it must be done well or it will create more problems.
Posted as a reply to:
Challenges to Implementing Shared Decision-Making by Patricia Bradley 
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