Advocacy versus inquiry in a group decision making process

Advocacy orientation How do you play? Forcefully and confidently advocate your point of view Represent your role Unstated rules of the game View of others Strategy for dealing with gaps in your case Response to dissent The aim is to win, gaining converts to your point of view Competitors Hide them Inquiry Orientation Put forward your point of view as partial and inquire into others views Play different roles, e.g., skeptical generalist. The aim is to collectively arrive at the best solution Collaborations Reveal them

Suppress if, find it annoying

Seek it, examine its implications

To promote an inquiry orientation Setting the stage Build a climate of psychological safety Frame the group decision-making task as a collective learning process Leading the discussion Promote inquiry, seek input, weigh issues together Continually assess your own and the groups orientation Reviewing the process How did we do? What should we keep? What can we do better?

Leading the discussion State own views clearly, making reasoning explicit, and encourage others (especially silent group members) to do the same. Invite others to help you see what you may be missing Elicit views of others and seek to understand their reasoning Consider in advance and be aware of own biases, patterns of behavior and emotional triggers Inquire into surprise, error and disagreement

Assessing your approach

Advocacy orientation Perception of what the options are: Dissent during the discussion Go/no go (Win/lose) Inquiry Orientation Multiple alternatives likely exist Frequent

Not evident

Sense of progress on issue

Limited to one: going around in circles; no one seems to give or change

Remain unfilled and remain largely hidden None on issues, increased awareness of others limitations

Deepening understanding of issues, development of new possibilities or tests

Are being partially or completely filled by combining knowledge Awareness of each others reasoning and its implications for issue

Gaps in individuals cases (e.g., in my case) Individual learning

Summary

Two conditions for better group decisions An inquiry orientation

Framing the decision-making task as a collaborative learning process

Psychological safety
Individuals feeling comfortable during discussion
(An inquiry orientation in an environment of psychological safety leads to better decisions )