CONSENSUS:

Consensus, agreements that people can live with, is typically the goal in finding group solutions. You need to bring differing positions to common interests. Without consensus, projects are frequently roadblocked, conflicts grow, and relationships are broken. Existing conflicts require the need to bring the splitting factions back in to alignment. For your consideration, we have collected our latest perspectives and news that we have found to be useful on the subject of consensus. Please read them all here. And if you don’t agree with us, we’d like to hear about that too – please drop a note, we’ll find consensus.

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Consensus

Burying The Lead

January 23, 2020 / Communication, Consensus

Most people working in public service come to it with advanced degrees. They’ve usually learned a specific way of presenting factual information and arguments. That scientific method works great for scoring good grades but not so much for public presentations and documents. Leading with the main point is important. If ...
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Working in Groups Can Lower Your IQ

January 23, 2020 / Conflict Resolution, Consensus

Spoiler alert: Although it wasn’t intended to be, I see this next piece of research as a pretty good argument for skillful facilitation. The social dynamics of the groups seem to be the root cause. This only references one study from Virginia Tech, so take it for what it’s worth, ...
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What Makes Us Tick – and Ticked Off

January 23, 2020 / Consensus, Trust
Most government public meetings and presentations are based on some official standing in the front of a room and delivering facts and data to a room full of people who can quickly become mind-numb. Setting the stage and telling stories with pictures and graphics makes all the difference. Don’t just
...
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Beware the Trolls; They’re Us

January 23, 2020 / Behavioral Science, Consensus

We talk a lot in these emails about understanding and dealing with public conflict and anger but we don’t often get into the subject of online bullies and trolls. Fact is, humans are naturally wired to cooperate, but online anonymity is a game changer – trolls have nothing to lose ...
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Consensus or Kumbaya

January 23, 2020 / Community Engagement, Consensus

Consensus is, arguably, the true essence of effective democratic public policy. Crafting decisions that most people can live with isn’t easy or quick, but usually beats simple majority voting when 51% wins and 49% of people become losers. Of course, there are people who see consensus as the naïve and ...
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