Vote-based decisions rely on majority rule, making them efficient for less critical choices where general agreement and swift action are prioritized.
Primary Implication
The primary problem with a decision-maker abdicating a decision to majority rule is that the majority doesn’t always know the best decision.
The secondary problem with vote decisions is some percentage of the voters in the minority will not be happy with the results of the vote. The more they are dissatisfied with the decision, the lower their productivity.
Overview
Vote decisions are initiated by the person with the authority for the decision, allowing the decision to be made by majority rule.
Only use this approach when you don’t care about the likely results of the final decision. If you are good with the actions the decision will trigger, and you believe that a high majority of the people involved will be on board, then this approach can be highly efficient for low-impact decisions that have a minimal impact on the people affected by the decision. When putting a decision up for vote, keep the following in mind:
- Voting is best suited to situations where efficiency is the highest value and you are selecting from some good options.
- Votes should never replace patient analysis and healthy dialogue, especially when everyone cares a great deal about an issue, and people are having trouble coming to a choice. Don’t stop the dialogue and call for a vote.
- When facing several decent options, voting is a great time saver when you are trying to narrow the field of possibilities, but should never be used when team members don’t agree to support whatever decision is made. In these cases, the consensus decision-making approach is required.
Remember, when you know that the losing side on a vote decision doesn’t care much, this is the most efficient decision-making approach.
Never use this decision-making approach when a vocal minority is likely to exist. In these situations, it is better to use one of the three other decision-making approaches than give people a vote that leaves them upset when their vote is in the minority.