When it comes to decision-making, not all voices are equal, and giving everyone an equal say can lead to unequal consequences.
Let me share a story … I had a colleague who was notorious for being against every major risky decision in our organisation. At board meetings he would ensure his negative opinion was duely recorded, and recalled his negative views should a decision fail for what ever reason… but no one ever raised his nay-saying for all the projects that were successful. He was promoted within our partner organisation as a “safe pair of hands” as being trustworthy careful and not making mistakes.
While I appreciate the Henning Piezunka & Oliver Schilke attempt to explore the impact of decision-making rules on individual managers’ voting behaviour, I disagree with the notion that all managers’ opinions should be treated as equal. In reality, not all managers are equal in terms of their skill, experience and decision-making history. To assume otherwise can seriously harm the organisation and hinder its ability to make sound strategic decisions.
Therefore, it’s important to consider this decision-making history when deciding who should have a greater say in making important decisions. Those with a track record of making effective decisions should be given more weight in the decision-making process.
Furthermore, I disagree with the author’s suggestion of implementing a straw poll to see where everyone stands before making a go/no-go decision. While this approach may be useful in some situations, it can also lead to groupthink and a lack of diverse perspectives as political jockeying and personalities takes over rational thinking.
Instead, decision makers should be encouraged to identify a scenario-based decision making process and to use a process (say the Bezos approach- is the decision a one- or two-way door… see below ) and voice their opinions and provide robust justifications for their recommendations and have these noted.
This can help ensure that all viewpoints are considered and the decision-making process is thorough and informed. My opinion is that this can lead to better outcomes, as those who have proven themselves to be skilled decision-makers are more likely to make informed, rational choices that benefit the group as a whole.
Remember, the key to successful decision-making is not just about having a seat at the table, but also having a track record of making wise choices.