Consensus (decision-making)

It’s estimated that in an average day people make over 30,000 decisions. When it comes to groups of people needing to reach a decision, how these resolutions are carried out can be key to the well-being of all.

If a small number of people are making most of the choices on behalf of others, that’s a disempowering and dispiriting state of affairs.

God knows we already live in a world riddled with inequality, oppression and discrimination. Do we need to add to the woes of our pupils, our colleagues, our service users by restricting their voice? And if you’re thinking that a quick vote can determine which path to take, think again: voting creates winners and losers. Do we really want to cause division within our peer groups, even if wider society does?

Consensus is about finding solutions that everyone supports or can happily live with.
This involves listening closely to each other. It requires a bit less self-interest and a lot more collective goodwill. It’s about coming up with ideas that work for all, that are acceptable to all. It’s taking on board minority views as readily as majority views, because they’re just as important.

The act of consensus is to find a common agreement among people. The opposite of consensus is disagreement. The opposite of consensus can also be authority: since authority assumes power and control over people.

If you want to know more on this subject, there’s a free book available on the internet: A Consensus Handbook written by Seeds For Change (2013).