Reaching consensus in the team requires several steps and actions that will help make the process transparent and honest. First of all, it is required to identify the problem, which requires consensus. Then, participants should openly discuss different perspectives for a solution.
It is essential to consider that there usually are several people in the group whose opinion becomes dominant. It is, therefore, necessary to allow more shy participants to speak first. Then, the team selects one option, for example, by voting, and discusses the details of its implementation.
The main challenge in reaching a consensus is that it is a majority decision, not a more productive, beneficial, or helpful one. Moreover, in such a situation, dissatisfied employees may remain sure that their opinion is ignored. An example of my work situation in which we could not reach a consensus is creating an additional group for group therapy.
Existing groups were filled, and some staff noted that treatment could be more effective if another group was added and participants distributed. Others felt that the workload was already too high, and creating another group would reduce their effectiveness. The problem was that no one wanted to change their opinion and consider the option of colleagues.