BUSINESS & IT
A Proven Method That Gives You the Best Solution to Your Problem
Here is what I learned
The method
As I wrote in my article “Do You Know This Amazingly Simple and Efficient Method for Making Group Decisions?”, the “one third plus one” method contains the following simple steps:
- chose a problem/topic
- invite experts to a meeting and write the topic on a flip chart/whiteboard
- the team collects possible solutions (ideas) for the problem
- rank the possible solutions as priorities
- tally the votes
In the last chapter of this article, I wrote about the many advantages.
Of course, you can and should adapt the method according to the circumstances.
My experience
As a woman in tech, I had problems being taken seriously at the beginning. Of course, only with certain groups of people.
I always had to prove myself. Not in my company, but with the customer, for example.
That’s why I liked to use group decision-making. To increase appreciation. Colleagues are involved and more motivated. My reputation has been raised.
Although I have also set clear boundaries. But this helped me additionally.
People take me seriously when I take them seriously.
I do that anyway, of course. But the democratic decisions increase appreciation even more. This is especially helpful with difficult people.
At the customer
Of course, the customer often expects me to suggest solutions. Nevertheless, there are topics where I also let the customer decide with this method.
For example, new features and their prioritization for parts of my implemented software. The customer basically states his requirements. We usually work agile with the Scrum method.
The customer creates user stories, which are then refined. Sometimes I hold a meeting on a specific topic.
Example: If it’s about exporting data to Excel. Which function is most important to the experts, in this case, the key users.
This can then be transferred into a user story. Previously, there may only have been a requirement to export the data to Excel.
Every user has different wishes and ideas.
The method achieves a collection of the most important requirements. It happens that one of the experts comes up with something new afterward. Or that a combined or completely new, good idea emerges.
The experts get creative, and the result is a requirement for me to work out and then implement.
Challenges and limits
I have used this method dozens of times in my professional life. I have noticed that it does not always work 100%. This method — like any other method — has limits.
For example, the most chosen solution is not always the best. This can be due to various reasons. Legal or operational constraints, budget, and final decision-makers on a higher hierarchical level.
The list can still help to get a prioritized list of possibilities.
If you cannot use the first solution, you could try the second one. It may turn out in the course of implementation that the solution is not feasible. That there must be another solution after all. But then you still have a whole list of ideas.
You could take the top ideas to another meeting, if necessary, with additional people. Continue or refine the ideas.
Sometimes you have to decide fast. There is no time to plan a meeting and wait until everyone has time for it.
As a manager, you have to make your decision and stand by it. Of course, you should consult your experts whenever possible.
From my experience, I know that this is not always possible.
For example, one of the experts may be on vacation. The other may be at an important workshop or unavailable for other reasons.
Whenever possible, I try to get further opinions before I make a decision. At least if I am not an expert myself. Then I can of course — especially under time pressure — make the decision.
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