To answer one of the hard questions I stumbled upon working with technical teams, that is how to make decision making as efficient as possible, I dig deep into different sources (books, collegues, managers, my own experience …etc.) and found one answer I pretty much like and follow, a particular process called Ringisho. As weired as it might sound, the Ringisho starts at the discussion level, where we pass around a proposal document.
When the proposal reaches each person, they read it, sometimes makes changes or suggestions, and then put their stamp of approval on it. Once everyone has approved at one level, it passes on to the next.
The next-higher-ranking managers (Architects …etc.) then discuss the new idea themselves and arrive at their own consenus. If they agree, they pass the approval to the next level. This process continues until the idea reach the highest management level and is or is not implemented . As you can see, the ringi system is hierarchical, bottom-up, and consensual all at the same time.
By the time the ringisho document has made the rounds and received everyone’s seal, all the people involved in the decision have had a chance to give input and are in agreement.
Before team members approve a proposal, consensus building starts with informal, face-to-face discussions. This process of informally making a proposal, getting input, and solidifying support is called nemawashi. Literally meaning “root-binding”, nemawashi is a gardening term that refers to a process of preparing the roots of a plant or tree for transplanting, which protects them from damage. Similarly, nemawashi protects teams form damage caused by disagreement or lack of commitment and follow-through.
With this consensus-based decision-making process, implementation is quicker. Everyone is aware of the decision, most people agree with it, and careful planning has already taken place. When different groups or companies are involved, the long decisoon-making process fosters stronger and more trusting relationships.
This Japanese ringi system epitomizes a culture where decisions take long time to be made, as everyone is invested in building a group consensus. But once the decision is made, it is generally fixed and the implementation may be very rapid, because each individual is on board.
💡 Hope it will help you as it did for me, try it and let me know