Decision by consent

Dealing with objections

Defining consent

Consent exists when no one has a significant and reasonable objection to a proposal being made.

When an objection is raised in a group, the person who raised the objection and the other members of the group work together to remove it.

If they do, the decision is made; if not, an escalation process in the organisation's structure avoids the blockage.

Clarifying the proposal

A proposal is presented. Everyone can ask questions to better understand the proposal. The aim is to agree on the meaning of the terms used and the general intention of the authors of the proposal (without a concrete proposal, decision-making by consent cannot be started).

The floor is given to participants in rounds, allowing only questions of clarification and avoiding debate. Sometimes several rounds are necessary.

Giving feedback on the proposal

Everyone can then give feedback to the authors of the proposal by giving a brief presentation of their initial reactions & feelings.

There is no discussion.

Amending the proposal

On the basis of the feedback, the authors now have the opportunity to amend their proposal if they consider it appropriate.

There is no discussion.

Collecting objections

Everyone is invited to announce whether or not they have reasonable objections to the proposal and is asked to express them. If necessary, those present help each other to formulate it.

Objections are written down succinctly, so that none are forgotten. An objection is not a preference, an opinion or another proposal. It is an expression of what is not "liveable" for each person and for the group.

Everyone must ask themselves: can I live with this proposal? If not, what will prevent me from being effective and active in its implementation if it is retained? Can I see any reason why adopting the proposal will harm the group? All this must be sincerely and very clearly expressed.

Improving the proposal

From now on, the proposal "belongs" to the group. On the basis of the objections, everyone is invited to be creative in improving the proposal.

This is done objection by objection. "How can the initial proposal be improved to take account of this objection? "Invite the group to improve the proposal using the objections expressed earlier, giving the floor to those who have an idea; avoid entering into debate.

If the group is not very disciplined, go around the table.

Gather consent

Ask everyone in turn: "Do you have an objection? "Everyone answers only with a "yes" or "no". The aim is to ensure that there are no objections.

Remember that we are not looking for the best solution, but the one that is best suited to the moment, that allows us to experiment and move forward. In this sense, it is a good idea to check whether the objections are linked to present needs or to future projections.

Evaluating the process

Everyone is invited to share their thoughts about the decision taken and their appreciation of the process that led to it.

This is a time to celebrate the decision made: "what thoughts and feelings does the decision inspire in you, what would you like to say about the decision-making process? ".

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