High-performance workplaces promote employee participation in decision-making as they understand that employees have a legitimate right to be involved in decisions which have an impact on their working lives.
By including employees, that positive gains also accrue to the organisation. These gains include:
- Enhanced employee performance which results from greater motivation
- A positive workplace culture is an outcome from greater information-sharing, and
- There are improvements in productivity when employees are consulted over changes to job design and work practices.
How To Encourage Employees’ Participation In Decision-Making
To encourage participation in decision-making, you need to do the following:
- Include team members in division/section/department decision-making by fully informing them of the situation and the decision(s) that needs to be taken.
- Encourage team members to think of solutions to the problem being as innovative as possible.
- Ask team members to provide alternatives, evaluate the alternatives and select one for implementation.
- Seek the best solution through getting team members to debate their viewpoints and work towards finding common ground.
- Include team members in decision-making by fully informing them of the situation and the decision(s) that needs to be taken.
When you plan on involving your team, or members of your team in a decision. you need to ensure that you know exactly what you want to achieve. When employees participate in the decision-making process, this may improve understanding and perceptions among colleagues and superiors and enhance personnel value in the organisation.
