The three C’s

I am confident we are all tired of delightfully persuasive phrases like “win win” to describe a situation, usually in business, where everyone allegedly comes out ahead.  I have had a few of those lately, and here’s what I have concluded.

1. The most popular new term to describe everyone getting what they want is “consensus.”
2. In organizations, consensus is a myth.

OK, that’s not entirely true.  But it’s rare.  The dictionary defines consensus as “widespread agreement or harmony.”  Hmmm…  Is that how most people feel after a decision has been made in your organization??

I think that there really are three things that typically happen when you’re asked to participate in a decision-making process.  As a leader in your organization, just being able to recognize these and adjust appropriately is a big advantage. 

1. Consensus (yes, it does happen sometimes)
2. Compromise
3. Chits

Sometimes, consensus really does happen.  A recent example was an interview process I helped with.  After 4-5 different folks across the organization finished interviewing four candidates for a permanent position, we all agreed on who the best candidate was.  Ah, consensus!  But what if we didn’t agree and still had to hire someone??

That gets us to compromise.  That happens far more often.   One of the most famous compromises is, of course, the Missouri Compromise, which happened way back in 1820.  The key here is that neither side really gets what they want, but both sides feel like they get enough to where they aren’t just getting out and out screwed.  In organizations today, this is often the best approach to decision making, when there are opportunities to let go of some things to get others.  Productive contract negotiations between two parties are typically a good example of this.

So what if you have to “cave” and go along with the crowd, even though you essentially don’t get what you want?   That’s where “chits” come in.  Chits are “vouchers representing something you are owed.”   If you have to give in on a decision even though you disagree with it, often there is an unspoken “you owe me” among the decision makers.  With some timing and skill, you can make use of that in the future.

So next time you are asked to a meeting where the outcome is planned to be ‘consensus,’ remember there are some other “C’s” that may pop up instead…

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