Discuss the first three steps involved in effective group decision making.

Answers will vary. Effective group decision making includes the following steps:
1. Analyzinge the decision to be made by adequately assessing the present situation.: To analysze something is to break it down into its smaller components. Research suggests that how a group analyszes the information can dramatically affect the group's decision.
Having too little evidence-or none- is one of the reasons groups sometimes fail to analyze the present situation accurately. Even if group members do have ample evidence, it may prove to be defective if they have not applied the proper tests to ensure the quality of the evidence. Whether the information a group has is good or bad, group members will tend to use the information if all members receive it, group members discuss it, and at least one group member champions the information. Just having information does not mean the group will use it well. Reasoning is the process of drawing conclusions from information. Flawed reasoning, like flawed data, can contribute to a bad decision.
2. Seeking input from each member.: One primary reason to work in groups and teams is the opportunity to tap the knowledge base of many people rather than just a few individuals. Research by John Oetzel documents what makes intuitive sense: Groups make better decisions when there is more equal participation in the discussion. Conversely, if several members dominate the conversation, decision quality suffers. Group members who believe they did not have an opportunity to voice their opinions and share information with others will not perceive the decision to have been reached fairly.
3. Identifying and clarifying the goals of the decision.: After assessing the current situation, the group should identify its objectives. A group uncertain about its task will have difficulty making a quality decision. If its goal is clear, a group can begin to identify alternatives and then weight each as to its ability to meet that goal. A group that has not clearly spelled out what it hopes to accomplish by making a decision has no means of assessing the effectiveness of the decision.