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This week we are talking about what to do when your team doesn’t agree with a decision you or someone else has made. There are some many nuances to this but it all starts at the beginning. Here is the question no one asks first; who had the decision rights? Often they aren’t established up front and this makes managing a decision even more difficult. Gathering input can make the decision-making process much worse if the decision rights aren’t clear.

And if you don’t want input, don’t ask; this only reinforces futility on teams.Let’s assume you want to know what your team thinks before you make a decision. Now, why do we want to ask for our team’s input? Conventional leadership wisdom says that we “should”. But the key here is to ask the right question at the right time to the right people; people that have a stake in the decision. For sure, every person feeling they have a voice really matters but if it isn’t clear why you’re asking, there will for sure be a conflict.

And, if you already know what you are going to do; don’t ask to attempt to manipulate the situation. Your team will see right through this. For goodness sake, don’t ask; “what do you think?” Be specific!

Check out the decision rights document right here.

But let us know what you think. How have you managed making decisions with your team?