Consensus building

The general agreement of the people concerned. The oft-cited aim of conferencing and the oft-cited justification for decisions and action; the synthesis of ideas rather than simply the recording of opinion; creativity rather than votes. New technology is introducing new and more streamlined methods to assist the consensus building process and there are some fairly sophisticated approaches that are using the latest insights of group processes and structure.[Advantages]

When a genuinely creative consensus is arrived at, it can generate a great sense of achievement and motivation in all those involved to implement the decisions. Emphasis on the contribution and the importance of each person's point of view and perspective ensures that all the participants "own" the consensus and feel a certain responsibility for it.

[Disadvantages]

It requires a high level of involvement, time and commitment. There is a tendency towards endless circular discussion if the focus of the group is lost. Consensus is often claimed when there is no other justification for decisions. There is a tendency towards the lowest common denominator rather than the highest common factor; and opinion polls are cited as consensus when the questions and alternatives clearly affect the results and even in the most "objective" polls the answers reflect existing prejudice rather than a consensus that has been built in the creative tension of the workshop. The mood of the group can be interpreted as the consensus by those with emotive skill.