Decision rule: what it is and what it means

A decision rule is the explicit criterion that establishes how a decision is reached in a group discussion: consensus, majority vote or consultative decision. The rule must be declared before the discussion, not after. Without a declared rule, participants interpret the nature of the discussion on their own, producing incompatible expectations and later frustration. When the rule is declared at the start, participants know what they are doing and judge the outcome on that criterion, not on expectations that differ from one person to the next.

Distinctive: declared before the discussion, not after
Distinctive: interpret the nature of the discussion on their own
Essential: explicit criterion
Essential: how a decision is reached
Constant: consensus, majority vote or consultative decision

Glossary

Decision rule

An explicit criterion — consensus, majority vote or consultative decision — that must be declared before the group discussion to avoid incompatible expectations.