COMMON MEETING PROBLEM: CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS

   Some meetings seem to drag on as group members struggle to reach consensus  and make decisions. The responsibility for coming to decisions rests squarely with    the chair or leader. Some common reasons why groups seem unable to make deci-  sions include:

>   Goals and outcome are not made explicit for the discussion topic.
>   Certain participants get side tracked on peripheral issues.
>   Consequences of not deciding are negligible.
>   Philosophical issues divide people.


  
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How to get others to agree on a decision

  There are a number of things you can do as a leader to help a group reach con-     census and make decisions more efficiently. These include

>   Create expectations with actionable agenda items that clearly convey what is    expected. For more about this see Creating Actionable Agendas.
>   Use prioritizing tools.
>   When participants seem totally blocked and unable to break through an impass, go back to the initial question or purpose of the activity and restate it.
>   Ask which alternatives are supported by data.