What approach focuses on consensus when making group decisions?

The approach that focuses on consensus when making group decisions is collaborative decision making. This method emphasizes the involvement and input of all members of the group, fostering an environment where each person's opinions and ideas are considered. The goal is to arrive at a solution that everyone can support, which often leads to better buy-in and commitment from the group.

Collaborative decision making values the contributions of all participants, promoting discussion, negotiation, and compromise to achieve a collective agreement. This is particularly useful in settings where teamwork and shared responsibility are essential for the success of a project or organization.

In contrast, other decision-making approaches like rigid decision making and authoritarian decision making do not facilitate consensus. Rigid decision making is typically characterized by strict adherence to rules or procedures without consideration for input from group members, while authoritarian decision making centralizes power in one individual, who makes decisions unilaterally without seeking feedback. Open decision making may appear collaborative but does not necessarily focus on finding a consensus; it often allows for contributions but may still result in decisions that reflect majority opinions rather than unanimous agreement.