democratically is through consultation as this allows all participants to express their opinions or views openly , and for all the various views and opinions to be considered respectfully . Please remember to treat your mentees as you would like to be treated yourself .
Different opinions are valuable to consultation and decision making . Everyone ‟ s contributions must be respected , and all participants must be willing to listen and try to understand opposing opinions and ideas . Please share the Consultative Decision Making Principles as they appear in the box below , with your mentees and ensure that everyone is in agreement with them . However , do give participants the chance to revise these principles as the aim is to identify a Consultative Decision Making Protocol to be followed throughout the social start up process .
Consultative Decision Making Principles – please share these with the participants :
1 . Be respectful – having a respectful and open attitude towards your colleagues will improve your ability to listen attentively , and to understand viewpoints that differ from your own . Being able to do that , means that you will be able to contribute constructively to the discussions .
2 . Pay attention – make sure that you listen with respect and attention to your colleagues as they offer their views / opinions . You may not agree with what they say , but they may well raise valid and valuable points !
3 . Ask questions – if you are unclear on a topic , or need further clarification , ask questions . If you don ‟ t understand something , it ‟ s quite likely that someone else in the group doesn ‟ t either !
4 . Negotiate – through negotiating you will identify colleagues who share your ideas , and others with whom you will disagree . The key is to listen respectfully and attentively to opposing views and ideas , and ask constructive questions that will help the team make a decision .
5 . Vote – the very final stage of the consultation process is to vote . This allows each participant to express their view on the decision being discussed , by voting for or against it . It is best to conduct a secret ballot . The votes are then counted by the mentor , and the point that secures the most votes , wins ! If a vote produces a tie , then the mentor will have the final casting ( deciding ) vote .
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