Most groups vote to make decisions, a choice which inevitably leads to “winners” and “losers” and can create very yes / no, black / white discussions. But there are other ways to reach agreement. Decision-making by consensus means working together to find a decision with which everyone is happy. This involves taking into account all opinions, ideas and issues in order to find a final proposal that works for everyone. Instead of voting or following a leader, the responsibility of finding win / win solutions that work for everyone is shared.
This workshop will provide a brief overview of how consensus decision-making can work, followed by a discussion about the benefits and challenges of this method of making decisions.