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November 23, 2005
CONSENSUS DECISION-MAKING By Raymond Lawrence
CPSP has maintained a tradition of consensus decision-making since its beginning. In decisions at Council we do not vote.
The act of voting is divisive. The object of voting is for proponents of a proposal to defeat opponents. The spirit of a vote is to declare a victor, much like a political election. Voting means acting on a 51-49 vote decision.
Voting prefers not to hear from everyone, especially the nay-sayers. Sometimes the majority decide to cut off debate. It seeks only concurrence, to make sure the negative votes are in the minority.
Even an 80-20 division can be divisive in a community, especially if those who carry the vote want above all else to carry the day. How often have we sat in meetings where the chair calls out, All opposed, say no. We do not support the decision, but neither do we want to appear the single nay-sayer. So we remain silent, our objections drowned out by the majority.
Consensus decision-making proposes to hear the objections as fully as possible. It seeks to hear every negative opinion. It seeks to bring the whole community to support any proposal that is implemented.
In consensus decision-making, all voices are not equal. A strong or passionate no might carry more weight than an uninvested, Its ok with me. More experience voices arguably should have more weight than the voices of novices.
Consensus does not require unanimity. It is not a blackballing approach in which one negative vote has the power to thwart a proposed action. Sometimes a dissident minority must finally be left behind in a decision. A dissident minority cannot hold a community hostage to its will.
Sometimes the community may decide that it does not have a consensus even though it has a slim majority. Or, it may decide that it has enough of a consensus to proceed with a decision in spite of strong negative opinions by a minority.
Consensus decision making is neither an air-tight process, nor a guarantee of success. It is the best known approach for hearing out the most difficult things to hear, contrary opinions.
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Raymond Lawrence is the General Secretary of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy.
Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at November 23, 2005 11:44 AM