Decision-making in teams Team decisions Pitfalls when teams make decisions Groupthink in teams Poor decisions in teams Effective decision-making in teams Using empathy III in teams Mutuality in team communication Conviction in teams References

Good decision-making is an essential element of team success and a key part of the discipline of management. Experienced managers have long recognised the importance of good communication to understand problems and decide what to do. All members contribute to the discussion through constructive criticism, discussing ideas and potential solutions. A well-orchestrated team of informed individuals will generally have a better chance of making a good decision than a person who is working alone and unaided. Such a team should be better suited to select, evaluate, judge, and problem solve especially when this involves many areas of detailed knowledge and there are many permutations to think through for each option that can be taken. This chapter discusses all these aspects as well as empathy and reciprocity in communication.