Collaborative groups frequently struggle with decision-making: we don’t want just one person calling all the shots, but trying to include everyone in every decision… well, it gets complicated.
Maybe you recognise some of the following issues when you make collaborative decisions in your team:
Decision-making takes forever
Watered down compromises lack commitment
Ambiguity of who is responsible for the process, or the outcome
Difficulty engaging everyone and including people in important decisions
Implicit power dynamics or fractured trust undermining people’s participation
People are shy to take initiative to avoid dominating the group
Acting under urgency instead of taking the time to consider options thoroughly
The good news is, there’s a spectrum of decision-making methods that can help your team make decisions more collaboratively, more inclusive, but also more efficient.
Mature collaborative teams invest time in deciding how to decide: they have a decision protocol that defines what method to use for each kind of decision. Some decisions should certainly be made with a lot of consultation and input, some can be done with advice from the right people, but others are best delegated to an individual or a subgroup.
If you want to build the capacity for fast & inclusive decisions in your team, then this course is right for you.
Learning outcomes
Understand the different collaborative decision-making methods (Consensus, Consent, Advice Process, and Mandates), and their pros & cons.
Learn how and when to use each of these methods.
Follow a step-by-step process to create a Decision Protocol tailored to your team.
Pitfalls and practical tips to get unstuck when things get difficult.
What’s included
Short video-lectures, with full transcripts
Prompts for personal reflection
Downloadable guides for processes & practices you can use in your team
Action canvas to plan the improvements you will bring to your team’s decision-making
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Navigating Group Decisions
Your Guides
Nati Lombardo
Born in Argentina, now based in Europe. Her background is in community development, permaculture and creative activism.
She has more than a decade of experience working in self-organising teams. As a facilitator, coach and consultant, she helps groups to cultivate a collaborative culture through behavioral change and peer-to-peer support.
She is a co-founder of The Hum, and member of the Enspiral network.
Course Content
Module 1 - Introduction (click to expand)
⏯️ Introduction to Collaborative Decisions
🧭 Reflective Prompt
Module 2 - Decision methods
⏯️ Consensus
⏯️ Consent
⏯️ Advice
⏯️ Mandate
🔍 Downloadable slides
🛠️ Homework: PTO Game
Module 3 - Pitfalls & Protocol
⏯️ Common Pitfalls
⏯️ Decisions Protocol
🔍 Case Studies
🛠️ Guide: Make your own protocol
Module 4 - Resources & Wrap-up
🧭 Reflective Prompt & Next Steps
🔍 Extra Resources
- Final Words
FAQs
If you have any other questions, please get in touch. We’ll love to hear from you :)
Sean Andrew
Forum for the Future
“Participating in The Hum's course demystified questions of what new forms of governance and organising for change can look and feel like. Their way of grounding theory into practice through simple and clear language, applied learning opportunities and sharing examples from the field encouraged me to try new things out in my own organisational context.”
Nicola Round
Adfree Cities
“I have come away from the course understanding that deciding to have a flat structure was just the first step for us. There is a lot of work to be done to build the structures and processes that we need to thrive. The Hum has given us the tools and the inspiration to help us on this journey. I feel much more confident about trying new ways of organising.”
Andreas Czermak
Bertelsmann Investments
“Very practical and up-to-date training for anyone who wants to take organisations to a new and modern level of collaboration. An organization where you can grow together and everyone has the chance to contribute, where you can learn from each other and everyone can develop...”