Group Decision Making Techniques for Project Managers
According to PMP PMBOK 5th edition, group decision making techniques that a project manager can choose are: unanimity, majority, plurality and dictatorship. Although Group Decision Making Techniques are considered as a tool or technique in Project Scope Management Collect Requirements Process and Validate Scope process, these 4 methods listed here can be used in any group activity where a solid decision should be set.
Four group decision making techniques define how the resultant output for a group activity will be set.
List of Group Decision Making Techniques in PMBOK
Here is the list of group decision making techniques that project managers should prefer according to PMBOK 5th Edition.
- Unanimity
- Majority
- Plurality
- Dictatorship
I liked this picture summarizing the group decision making techniques very well. It emphasizes on the differences between each method to make clear in readers minds.
Unanimity: Every group member agrees to the same decision. Everyone in the activity group should come to an agreement.
Majority: At least half of the group members should agree on the same result. More than the fifty percent of the group members are necessary to make a decision for the name of the group.
Plurality: 50% of a group is not required in this case. Instead the decision is taken by the biggest block of people that come to the same result within the activity group.
Dictatorship: There is person who has the authority to take the decision for the all group members. The other ideas mentioned be other group members is not important.