Different organizations have various ways of making decisions.
Due to the multiple complications involved in the process, many businesses are finding it necessary to modify some of the decision-making procedures they previously followed. A bureaucratic organization with a tight and systematic decision-making process has historically been present in the US ARMY. The procedure has, however, been somewhat less efficient as a result. The company should therefore investigate certain contemporary participatory decision-making techniques, such Future Search and Open Space Technologies (Rogers, 2010).
Future Search issues that could be resolved
The complexity of conducting military operations in light of an increase in terrorist attacks would be at the extremist attacks. The notoriety of terrorist groups such as ISIS has been on the rise, and the US Army has not made enough progress to control the situation. This organization has several stakeholders from low ranking personnel to the highest ranks in the hierarchy. In Future search, the decision-making process will not only be isolated to the top leadership but will be a participatory process involving all stakeholders to come up with future strategies to manage the threat. The essence of involving all stakeholders is that it will ignite an honest discussion on what has worked before and what does not work and thus make necessary changes (Rogers, 2010).
The conduct of the Future Search process
The planning of the Future Search conference will entail the input of key representatives in critical positions of the US Army organization structure. This will include a representative from each rank of the army. These will consist of a Staff Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Major General, Lieutenant General, General, Director of Intelligence and Secretary Of Defense. The planning stage will comprise of a lean team made up of the above to thoroughly explore the problem and define the objectives for the Future Search conference. The ground rules and boundaries are also set at this stage (Nixon, 1998).
After the issue has been defined and the agenda has been set, an invitation detailing the same will be prepared. It will be sent to a cross-section of all relevant stakeholders as opposed to just representatives. This will include all the leaders of various squads, platoons, companies, battalions, brigades, divisions, corps, field army, intelligence, and executive leadership. The invitees will be a group of not more than 100 people. This will be a sample that is representative enough of the entire US Army organization. Other preliminary arrangements will entail identifying a conducive place to carry out the conference (Leith, 1996).
Issues that could be solved using Open Space Technology
This approach is best suited to address the issue of staff welfare based on several challenges inherent to military work. Staff welfare is often an issue close to the heart for many people. It is the wish of staff that their concerns and grievances are heard to comfortably execute their duties. Such opportunities to voice the concerns of the staff in the army are not easily forthcoming. Lack of such avenues leads to low job satisfaction and ultimately affects the output of an employee. Through the use of Open Space Technology, everyone with an agenda concerning staff welfare is given a chance to bring it forward without prejudice. This approach helps to bring forward as many agendas as possible and discuss them at length and ultimately make proper decisions (Leith, 1996).
The conduct of the Open Space Technology process
Similarly, the planning stages in Open Space Technologies will entail the input from representatives of key positions in the US Army. The heads of various divisions, divisions, and units in the US Army will be involved in the preliminary stages to plan for the conference. The fundamental purpose of the planning stage is to identify and explore the general theme of the conference at length. The ground rules and boundaries of the process are also set in this process. After the planning team has been briefed on the general theme of the conference, the invitations are then prepared to be sent out to all stakeholders (Norum, 2005).
The invitees in the conference will be all departmental heads, all leaders at various ranks and position within the US Army ranging from the smallest units (Squads) to the top leadership of the organization. This is meant to ensure that all the staffs are fairly represented in the conference. To ensure that the meeting is easily manageable and the outcomes are met, a group of not more than 100 participants will be involved.
An important consideration before the conference begins is to schedule the time for each of the stages involved which are agenda setting, marketplace, and sessions. This is to ensure that the exercise has a sense of direction. Each stage should be allocated sufficient time to fulfill its goals (Norum, 2005).
References
Leith, M. (1996). Organizational change and large group interventions. Career Development International, 1(4), 19-23.
Nixon, B. (1998). Creating the futures we desire-getting the whole system into the room: Part I. Industrial and Commercial Training, 30(1), 4-11.
Norum, K. (2005). Future search conversation. Dialogue as a means of collective communication, 323-333.
Rogers, J. (2010). Large group interventions. Facilitating Groups. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education. Pp. 98-104
