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Figure 16: Leadership Approaches to Group Participation in Decision-
Making 203

Decide You make the decision along and either announce or “sell” it to the
group. You may use your expertise in collecting information from
the group or others that you consider relevant to the problem.

Consult You present the problem to group members individually, get their
(individually) suggestions, and then make the decision.
Consult You present the problem to group members in a meeting, get their
(group) suggestions, and then make the decision.
Facilitate You present the problem to the group in a meeting. You act as
facilitator, defining the problem to be solved and the boundaries
within which the decision must be made. Your objective is to get
concurrence on a decision. Above all, you take care to ensure that
your ideas are not given any greater weight than those of others
simply because of your position.
Delegate You permit the group to make the decision within prescribed
limits. The group undertakes the identifying and diagnosis of the
problem, developing alternative procedures for solving it, and
deciding on one or more alternative solutions. While you play no
direct role in the group’s deliberations unless explicitly asked, your
role is an important one behind the scenes, providing needed
resources and encouragement.

10.Communicating the decision.

It is easy to overlook the communication of the decision once it has been
made, and yet the success of a decision depends considerably on how well

it is communicated and to whom. It should be decided who needs to
know, how will the message be most effectively shared, and who will
deliver it.

In summary, decision-making is the act of choosing between a number of
alternatives. In the wider process of problem-solving, decision-making
involves choosing between possible solutions to a problem. Decisions can
be made through either an intuitive or reasoned process, or a combination

203 Victor H. Vroom, “Educating Managers for Decision Making and Leadership,” http://www.hr-
meter.com/files/vroomartikelfuerweb.pdf.

David Kolzow 217