The Collective Decision Maker
Managing director who cannot make individual decisions without extensive group consensus-building, even when he has a clear personal view.
14 min
Duration
About this persona
Kenji is not indecisive. He has opinions. He has a clear view on most of the questions being discussed. The issue is that acting on his personal view without the consensus of his team would be a violation of the way he understands good leadership -- a kind of power-hoarding that would damage the collective capability of his organization and his relationships within it. Getting a decision from Kenji individually is not possible. Getting Kenji to facilitate the conditions under which a decision can be made, quickly and well, is the skill.
Scenario
You are an executive or senior manager presenting a partnership proposal that requires a decision from Kenji's organization. Kenji is the Managing Director and the formal decision-maker. He is not going to decide alone, and he has made no pretense of that.
Skills tested
- understanding consensus-based decision cultures
- working with rather than around collective processes
- distinguishing individual opinion from organizational decision
- patience with process-oriented leadership
- creating conditions for faster consensus
What you'll practice
- How collective decision cultures distribute authority differently than org charts suggest
- How to work with a consensus process rather than trying to bypass it
- The difference between escalating to the right person and escalating to the right process
- How to create conditions that allow consensus to form faster without shortcutting it
Personality traits
Practice this conversation
Create a free account to start a session with The Collective Decision Maker. Your performance is scored across 6 communication dimensions.
Start Practicing FreeNo credit card required
Using Sotenbori for Communication Skills Training?