Making decisions in a team
Making decisions within a team has many advantages. Except for one thing: the lack of clarity. It is not easy to involve every team member without creating a chaos of opinions. Especially for such cases, there are methods to help you and make the decision easier. One of these is the FORDEC method.
The FORDEC method is a six-step action plan developed by Nasa to enable the quickest and most reflective decision to be made in critical situations. It was intended for pilots to support them in life and death decisions. Business administration has adopted the method and uses it successfully to coordinate decisions within the team. Each letter in the word FORDEC stands for a step towards the final decision.
“Great developments in companies never come from one person. They are the product of a team”
Steve Jobs
The FORDEC method
The first three steps deal with the current situation, while the last three relate to future action. For important upcoming decisions, it is advisable to focus on the individual points and thus create an all-round overview that guarantees the quality of the decision.
Facts: What is the initial situation/problem?
This involves a rough description of the situation and the reactions of the environment to the initial situation.
Options: What options do we have?
All possible options for action need to be identified and brought together. From this point of view, it is possible to develop strategies.
Risks& benefits: What are the risks and opportunities of the options?
Each decision option has advantages and disadvantages that need to be weighed up. Minority opinions should also be taken into account here.
Decision: What do we do now?
Crisis decisions generally entail more uncertainty than normal team decisions. However, you should not allow this to unsettle you and use the previous steps to determine a well-founded trend.
Execution: What are the next steps?
Once the team has decided on a course of action, the next step is to discuss the exact steps for implementation.
Checksituation improved? FORDEC necessary again?
Now that the plan has been completed and implemented, it is time to reflect on whether the objectives have been achieved or whether a further revision may be necessary. This allows the team to review their decision themselves.
Once these six questions have been asked and everyone in the team has classified their concerns or ideas, a well-founded decision can be made, taking all team members into account. This is the FORDEC method in a nutshell.
Where should decisions best be made?
Some places, such as the office or the usual meeting room, are preloaded and no longer lead to innovative decisions. Getting out and making decisions in unfamiliar, inspiring locations can work wonders.
