Group Decision Making:
Practical Approaches to Bring
Groups Together
Angie LaFlamme
Rural Health Innovations
May 9, 2017
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Rural Health Innovations’ Purpose
Rural Health Innovations (RHI), LLC, is a subsidiary of
the National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center),
a non-profit organization. Together, RHI and The Center
are the nation’s leading technical assistance and
knowledge centers in rural health. In partnership with
The Center, RHI connects rural health organizations with
innovations that enhance the health of rural
communities.
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Reference
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Engagement
Engagement: To attract and hold attention,
gain support.
• Board Members
• Providers
• Patients
• Staff
• Partners
• Network Members
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How Groups Make Decisions
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Only in our dreams!
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How Groups (really) Make Decisions
New
Topic
Decision
Point
"Business as usual"' can rely on
familiar opinions and sollutions
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How Groups (really) Make Decisions
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How Groups (really) Make Decisions
Complex issues with no obvious solutions
often require consideration of unfamiliar or
unpopular opinions.
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How Groups (really) Make Decisions
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Distrust
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Lack of understanding
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of the process
Unwillingness to
support the decision
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How Groups (really) Make Decisions
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Divergent Phase
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Convergent Phase
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Divergent vs. Convergent Phases
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• Generate
alternatives
• Evaluate
alternatives
• Free-for-all
discussion
• Summarize key
points
• Gathering diverse
points of view
• Sorting ideas into
categories
• Unpacking the logic
of a problem
• Arriving at a general
conclusion
How Groups (really) Make Decisions
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Divergent Phase
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Convergent Phase
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The Groan Zone
“The Groan Zone”
• Confusion
• Misunderstandings
• Frustrations
• Lack of Progress;
“feeling stuck”
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“Stick With It”
• Potential for new
solutions (beyond
familiar thinking)
• Breakthroughs
Balance
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Leadership Tools for Each Phase
Divergent
Phase
• Types of
structured go­
arounds
• Individual work,
then group
work
• Unrepresented
perspectives
• Un-discussables
• Exaggerations
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Groan Zone
•Reframing
•Role-storming
•Focus on what is
going well
•Sort and
categorize ideas
•Strengthen
relationships
•Changing
perspectives
Convergent
Phase
•Clarify
evaluation
criteria
•Continuum of
agreement
Leadership Tools for Each Phase
Divergent
Phase
• Types of
structured go­
arounds
• Individual work,
then group work
• Unrepresented
perspectives
• Un-discussables
• Exaggerations
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Groan
Zone
Convergent
Phase
Leadership Tools for Each Phase
Groan Zone
Divergent
Phase
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• Sort and
categorize ideas
• Changing
perspectives
• Role-storming
• Reframing
• Focus on what
is going well
• Strengthen
relationships
Convergent
Phase
Leadership Tools for Each Phase
Convergent
Phase
Divergent
Phase
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Groan
Zone
• Clarify
evaluation
criteria
• Continuum of
agreement
Summary
Three Phases in Group
Decision-Making:
1. Divergence
2. Groan Zone
3. Convergence
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Groan
Zone
Contact Information
Angie LaFlamme
Senior Program Coordinator
218-216-7022
[email protected]
Get to know us better:
http://www.ruralcenter.org
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