Consensus decision-making facts for kids

A general assembly at Occupy Wall Street (2011) where people aimed to establish consensus

Members of the Shimer College Assembly reaching a consensus through deliberation

Consensus decision-making is a way for groups to make choices together. Instead of just voting and having a majority win, everyone works to find a solution that everyone can agree on. The goal is for everyone to accept the final decision, even if it's not their first choice. This is different from unanimity, where absolutely everyone has to agree. In consensus, people try to find a solution that works for the whole group, avoiding arguments and making sure most people are happy.

What Does Consensus Mean?

The word consensus comes from Latin and means "agreement" or "feeling together." In simple terms, it means a generally accepted opinion. But in group decision-making, it's both the process of talking things through and the result of reaching an agreement. So, you can "decide by consensus" and then say "a consensus was reached."

How Consensus Decision-Making Started

How often the terms consensus decision-making and consensus process appeared in books from 1800 to 2019.

Consensus decision-making became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It was used by groups involved in important movements like the Civil Rights Movement, the Peace Movement, and the Women's Movement. These groups often focused on nonviolence and direct action.

One group, the Movement for a New Society (MNS), helped spread the idea. They adapted the way Quakers made decisions, which also focused on group agreement. MNS trained other groups, like the Clamshell Alliance, to use consensus.

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a key student group in the Civil Rights Movement, also used consensus early on. They tried to discuss issues until no one had objections. This helped them make decisions where everyone felt heard.

Consensus also became popular in the anti-nuclear movement and later in the anti-globalization and climate movements. More recently, groups like Occupy Wall Street (2011) used consensus, even developing special hand signals to help people communicate quickly during large meetings.

Why Use Consensus?

Consensus decision-making has some important goals:

• Working Together: Everyone helps create a plan that tries to meet everyone's needs and concerns.
• Cooperation: People work together to find the best decision for the whole group, not just for themselves.
• Fairness: Everyone in the group should have an equal chance to share their ideas and change proposals.
• Including Everyone: As many people as possible who are affected by a decision should be part of the process.
• Participation: The process encourages everyone to actively share their thoughts and be involved.

Consensus vs. Other Ways to Decide

Consensus decision-making is different from common ways groups make choices, like using majority rule. In majority rule, a decision passes if more than half the people vote for it. This can sometimes lead to arguments or make people who voted against a decision feel left out.

Consensus tries to avoid these problems. Supporters believe it leads to:

• Better Decisions: When everyone's ideas are included, the final plan can be stronger and address more concerns.
• Better Action: When people agree on a decision, they are more likely to help carry it out.
• Better Group Relationships: Working together and cooperating can make the group feel more connected and friendly.

How Decisions Are Made in Consensus

Consensus doesn't always mean everyone has to agree perfectly. Sometimes, a group might decide that "unanimity minus one" (meaning only one person disagrees) or "unanimity minus two" is enough to move forward. Even if a few people disagree, their concerns are still important and should be written down.

A key rule in consensus is that dissenting (disagreeing) opinions are always recorded. This helps the group learn and improve. If a decision is made where no one seems to disagree, it can sometimes be a sign that people are afraid to speak up, which is not true consensus.

In any group, people might have different levels of knowledge or be affected differently by a decision. That's why consensus focuses on understanding why someone disagrees, not just on whether they do.

Dealing with Disagreement (Blocking)

To make sure everyone's agreement is valued, some groups allow a single person to "block" a decision. This means the decision cannot pass until their concerns are addressed. However, blocking should be used carefully and responsibly. It's not meant to stop a decision just because you don't like it.

Instead of blocking, people might:

• Declare reservations: This means you let the decision pass but want to record your concerns.
• Stand aside: You have a strong personal disagreement but are willing to let the decision pass anyway. This is like a "no" vote, but it doesn't stop the process.
• Object: In groups that need everyone to agree, one objection can stop a proposal. Other groups might need more than one objection to block.

Steps in a Consensus Process

Most consensus processes follow these basic steps: 1. Discuss the Idea: The group talks about the topic to share opinions and information. 2. Create a Proposal: Based on the discussion, a formal idea for a decision is presented. 3. Ask for Consensus: The leader (called a facilitator) asks if everyone agrees. People might use hand signals or colored cards to show if they agree, stand aside, or object. 4. Address Concerns: If someone objects, they explain why. The group then discusses these concerns. 5. Change the Proposal: The proposal is changed to address the concerns. Then, the group goes back to step 3 until everyone agrees enough to pass the decision.

Quaker-Based Model

The Quaker model of consensus is a well-known way to make decisions. It focuses on listening to everyone and finding unity, not just perfect agreement.

• Everyone shares their thoughts until the group's general feeling is clear.
• People listen carefully and share information.
• The leader (called a "clerk") helps guide the discussion, pointing out agreements and disagreements.
• The leader suggests a "minute" (a written record) of the decision.
• If someone still disagrees, they can "stand aside" (let the decision pass) or "block" it.

The goal is for the group to feel united, even if not every single person is 100% thrilled with the outcome.

Who Does What in a Consensus Meeting?

Consensus meetings often have special roles to help things run smoothly:

• Facilitator: This person helps guide the meeting, keeps track of time, and makes sure everyone follows the agreed-upon rules. They help the group reach a decision more easily.
• Timekeeper: This person makes sure the meeting stays on schedule and that no one talks for too long.
• Empath or Vibe Watch: This person pays attention to how people are feeling in the meeting. They notice body language and try to prevent emotional conflicts, making sure everyone feels safe to speak.
• Note Taker: This person writes down the decisions, discussions, and action points from the meeting.

These roles are often rotated among group members so everyone gets a chance to learn and participate.

Tools for Consensus

• Hand Signals: Many groups use hand signals to quickly show agreement, disagreement, or other feelings without interrupting the speaker. For example, wiggling fingers might mean "I agree," and crossing arms might mean "I block."
• Fist-to-Five: In this method, people hold up fingers to show their level of agreement:
  • A fist means "I block."
  • One finger means "I have major concerns."
  • Two fingers mean "I have minor concerns."
  • Three fingers mean "I can live with this decision."
  • Four fingers mean "I like this decision."
  • Five fingers mean "I love this decision and will help lead it!"

Challenges of Consensus

While consensus has many benefits, it also has challenges:

• Can Be Slow: Because everyone's input is valued, consensus can take a lot of time, especially for big groups or urgent decisions.
• Status Quo Bias: If it's easy for one person to block a decision, it can be hard to change existing rules or ways of doing things.
• Risk of Stagnation: If a group can't resolve blocks, it might get stuck and not be able to make any decisions, which can be frustrating.
• Groupthink: Sometimes, people might pretend to agree to avoid conflict, even if they have doubts. This is called "groupthink" and is the opposite of true consensus, where all opinions are openly discussed.

True consensus encourages open disagreement and discussion, which makes decisions stronger in the long run.

Similar Ways of Deciding in Other Cultures

Consensus decision-making isn't just a Western idea. Many cultures around the world have used similar methods:

• Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy: This Native American confederacy used a supermajority (75% agreement) for decisions centuries ago.
• Indaba (South Africa): The Xhosa and Zulu people in South Africa use a process called indaba, where community leaders listen to everyone and negotiate to find a compromise.
• Musyawarah (Indonesia): In Aceh and Nias cultures, disputes are settled through musyawarah, where people mediate to find peace and avoid future problems.
• Japanese Business: Many Japanese companies use consensus, meaning everyone on the board of directors aims for unanimous support before a decision is made.

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), which helps run the internet, uses "rough consensus." They don't have strict rules for voting, but the leader tries to understand the general "sense of the group" to make decisions. They even hum instead of raising hands to avoid counting votes precisely!