Consensus Decision Making > Defining Consensus

Purpose: To enable a team to come to a shared definition of consensus. To encourage group members to work together before they deal with a decision they must make. Help strengthen the relationships within the group before they make consensus decisions.

When to Use: When a team is agreeing on how to make decisions

Whom to Involve: All team members

Time Needed: 30 minutes

Activity: Defining Consensus

• Have each person write his or her own definition of consensus.
• Divide the group into pairs and have individuals in each pair compare their definitions.
• Then, ask them to re-write their definitions to incorporate aspects of both versions. Ask them to write their definition on a large sheet of paper.
• Group each pair with another pair. Ask the foursome to combine the two definitions into one definition. Again, have them write their new definition on a large sheet of paper. Repeat this process with a foursome joining another foursome; then groups of eight joining another group of eight, etc., until the entire group reaches a single definition of consensus.
• Display the final agreed-upon definition of consensus.
  

Debrief Questions:

• Do all team members understand the importance of consensus versus other methods such as voting in making decisions affecting school-improvement?
• How did the definition change as more people became involved?
• To what extent did the final definition resemble the definition given on the main consensus page?
• How did you feel about participating in this process?
• How does the process of reaching consensus compare with other decision-making processes?