ABSTRACT
This chapter describes an iterative approach to consensus-building designed to maximize the potential benefits of working in groups while minimizing the risks often associated with group dynamics. The goal of finding consensus need not override actual divergence. In many circumstances, it is possible, as well as honest, to acknowledge and describe disagree ments that have not been resolved rather than to set arbitrary rules for deciding among alternatives. The ward method builds consensus by exploring possibilities and selecting optimal expressions for ideas and observations. Teams with greater variability in resources may produce more complex, richer, and deeper solutions, albeit at the expense of more time and effort. Participants with similar backgrounds, on the other hand, may reach a consensus more easily, but their joint product may be more limited. Groups required to reach consensus frequently fail to effectively combine unique knowledge if their discussions are not structured and in-meeting consensus processes may encourage conflict avoidance.
