1. You discussed some important points associated with collaboration and decision making, typically groups that engage in this effort will use critical thinking skills by default. It is important to engage in professional collaborative efforts to ensure the best decision is made, however there are times when the group may have a disagreement concerning the best course of action. Certainly this occurs within the learning teams in class on a micro scale and within large organizations on a macro scale. When opposing options exist the team must determine the best method to conduct due diligence on all options and move forward. For example, when I worked at a brokerage we had to decide whether we wanted to hire interns for our tier 1 support or full-time employees.
Interns cost nothing, but full-time employees produced better quality options for our customers. Ultimately we created a blended model to get the best of both worlds - but we did not arrive at that decision without brainstorming ideas. What do you feel are some other benefits of 'brainstorming' in team based decision making efforts?
2. Good points, there certainly are several issues to consider when deciding how to make the best decision in a collaborative environment. Some positions, such as sales, operate independently and oftentimes in competition with other peers at the same company. Working together may not be optimal for the individual employee even though it makes sense for the organization. You also bring up a good point concerning time restraints - individuals may have to take a longer amount of time to come up with a solution while teams can be more effective and efficient.
Are there any risks associated with team decisions made under time constraints? Sometimes the team may find themselves challenged by a deadline and not effectively use critical thinking, how can they maximize time in these situations?
3. It is vital to come into any collaboration effort with the correct data, verifiable from research results, to ensure that you are presenting objective information that supports your point. Marczyk, DeMatteo, and Festinger (2005) discuss the importance of ensuring research results are also valid as defined by following the proper scientific methodology in a study. If the results are not valid, then you are going to enter a situation with data or facts that have the potential to be used against you or nullified in some other way. How would you ensure any research results used in an collaborative effort are valid?
Reference:
Marczyk, G., DeMatteo, D., & Festinger, D. (2005). Essentials of research design and methodology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons