Arrow's Theorem and Group Decisions

Way back in 1951, Kenneth Arrow wrote a book called Social Choice and Individual values, in which he introduced Arrow's Paradox (aka Arrow's Possibility theorem, aka Arrow's Impossibility theorem). Slightly less back in 1972, Arrow won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work.

To oversimplify and ignorantly sum up, democratic voting doesn't work when weighing subjects against various criteria. (Blogger's note: No pretenses; I'm not capable of understanding, let alone explaining this equation with any sensibility. Check out the link for that. I'm just running with my blanket statement, and what to do with that conclusion).

If alternative analysis can't be trusted, then how can the input of multiple people help get to a decision? One thought would be to use the results of a vote to surface opinions, and use these as a springboard for more focused discussion. This isn't a silver bullet. But, will there ever be? Will algorithms ever take insights and transform them into optimal decisions? Services like Expert Choice are apparently making strides. There may be solutions on the horizon, but engaging people in discussion surrounding voting inputs also produces new insights and further benefits.

To be fair, there's always a risk in opening up results to discussion, of course.

Bullshit!

Thinking of meeting tools and defibrillators, my mind is occupied by what most would call a distraction, rather than a tool. Of course, I refer to that glorious composition; Bullshit Bingo.

I openly advocate for explatives in meetings, but BBingo runs deeper than the novelty and gratuitous cheap laughs. Monitoring how authentic our language is can be a valuable discipline.

I recently had my wrist slapped for saying "desired state". A staunch co-facilitator stopped me mid-sentence to remind me to call things what people recognize them as. "Desired state? Why don't you just call it what we should be doing?".

For practical application, I suggest customizing the BBingo field to include the jargon that you and your fellow delegates are most guilty of abusing in-meeting. Enjoy.