Balancing Transparency and Timeliness in Organizational Decision-Making | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.

"Dear Transparency-Committed Reader, You're not alone. So many of us want decision-making to reflect our collective values (like transparency, care, and shared power), but it's hard to actually put those values into practice. That gap between what we believe and how we decide can be frustrating. And getting stuck in the process is a common concern I hear from groups. I am happy to share, though, that decision-making doesn't have to be a nightmare."

"Before diving into specific decision-making methods, here's a grounding principle: Decision-making is a shared practice. It's something we learn and get better at together. When group decisions feel frustrating, it's often because there wasn't a shared understanding of how the process works, or there was a mismatch between intentions and structure. But decision-making can actually be a predictable, easeful part of your work, where p"

Many organizations desire decision-making that reflects collective values such as transparency, care, and shared power, yet struggle to put those values into practice. The gap between stated values and actual processes often causes frustration and prolonged, inconclusive consensus attempts. Decision-making can be structured to be participatory, time-bound, and action-oriented. A grounding principle is that decision-making is a shared practice that groups learn and improve together. Frustration frequently arises from lack of shared understanding of processes or mismatched intentions and structures. With clear methods and expectations, decision-making can become predictable, easeful, and effective.

Read at Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.