How Great Decisions Get Made: 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues

by Don Maruska

Foreword by Meg Wheatley. All too often, solving tough work issues can become a tug of war as clashing departments, priorities, personality styles, and other concerns threaten to destroy any possibility of a successful conclusion. But by sharing hopes, and focusing on information rather than debate, the path to agreement can become wonderfully clear. How Great Decisions Get Made. shows how to bring out the best in people, so that the process of decision making cements groups together rather than pulling them apart. The book gives readers a simple 10-step process to help their people overcome seemingly intractable differences, paving the way for groups * Embrace a world view filled with the possibility of creating better results together * Shift their attention from the stale "What should we do?" to a fresh "How can we achieve what we really want?" attitude * Tap into who they are to define and articulate their hopes Readers looking for quick, exciting ways to energize their often contentious decision-making process will find all the help they need, from real-life scenarios showing the process in action to a self-assessment checklist. How Great Decisions Get Made provides the key to overcoming barriers, making people feel great about the work they do, and achieving extraordinary results.

Genres: Business

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2003

About the author

As a founder and CEO of three Silicon Valley companies, venture investor, and recipient of the National Innovators Award, Don writes from a broad base of experience. His lifelong passions for creativity, translating innovative ideas into practical applications, and bringing out the best in others stimulate his work.

Don was the first in his family’s history to attend college, and he earned a BA magna cum laude from Harvard University. At twenty-two, Don was a legislative assistant in the US Senate and thereafter developed management procedures to implement a national housing program. He subsequently earned an MBA and JD from Stanford University and joined McKinsey & Company, where he led strategy and organization projects for corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits.

Following nearly two decades in Silicon Valley, Don became a Master Certified Coach, focusing on helping leaders and teams to cultivate success in their organizations. He is proud to claim that "Take Charge of Your Talent" coauthor Jay Perry was one of his mentor coaches in learning the coaching profession.

Don has appeared on over thirty radio and television interview programs throughout the United States. He delivers keynote speeches and workshops across the country and abroad.

Reviews

[Peter Hedgecock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changed how I work in teams/meetings. Great framework for forming teams and making decisions. Note that this book has lots of corollaries to "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team".

[Andrea]

Was required to read this for my Society of Actuaries Decision-Making module. Not bad. Good ideas. Easy to read and digest. The ideas work best if you are the group leader, not just an underling.