ABSTRACT
Consensus decision-making is a participatory process of making decisions with an inclusive group with the goal of general acceptance of the decisions. Consensus is not 100" agreement or majority vote. In contrast, consensus results when the group can support the idea or at least agree to live with the decision. In addition, consensus requires that individuals make decisions for the good of the whole group as opposed to their individual needs. There are many strategies for group decision-making such as voting with the majority deciding, ranking ideas, or gathering input for one person to decide. Each method has pros and cons related to the investment of time and the buy-in of supporters. Decisions arrived at through consensus have several advantages over decisions made by one person using a top-down approach. Individuals who work in organizations using consensus decision-making report being more satisfied and more productive than those who work in organizations using a more top-down approach.
