Foreword by Meg Wheatley. All too often, solving tough work issues can become a tug of war as clashing departments, priorities, personality styles, and other concerns threaten to destroy any possibility of a successful conclusion. But by sharing hopes, and focusing on information rather than debate, the path to agreement can become wonderfully clear. How Great Decisions Get Made. shows how to bring out the best in people, so that the process of decision making cements groups together rather than pulling them apart. The book gives readers a simple 10-step process to help their people overcome seemingly intractable differences, paving the way for groups to: * Embrace a world view filled with the possibility of creating better results together * Shift their attention from the stale "What should we do?" to a fresh "How can we achieve what we really want?" attitude * Tap into who they are to define and articulate their hopes Readers looking for quick, exciting ways to energize their often contentious decision-making process will find all the help they need, from real-life scenarios showing the process in action to a self-assessment checklist. How Great Decisions Get Made provides the key to overcoming barriers, making people feel great about the work they do, and achieving extraordinary results. "A MUST READ" -- James A. Barry, Jr.CFP®, international financial advisor, author and PBS television host of Jim Barry's Financial Success "A blessing for anyone who hates meetings (who doesn't)- the art of team decision making" -- BookPage "Don Maruska's book offers a refreshing perspective and an important process that people urgently need." -- John Steinhart, Silicon Valley management consultant and former director of the Stanford Sloan Program for Executives "Don Maruska's insights and practical guidance helped our business through a critical transition phase." -- Lauren Brown, President, Promega Biosciences, Inc. and 2003 Socially Responsible Entrepreneur Award Winner "The ten-step process works!This approach is building lasting value for our organization,the resources we manage, and the public we serve." -- Mike Pool, California State Director, U.S. Bureau of Land Management "This book is full of keen insights and practical techniques to bring out the best in people and get results." -- Steve Westly, California State Controller and former Senior V.P., eBay "This is a book that you will go back to again and again." -- Michael Ray, author of Creativity in Business and professor emeritus, Stanford Business School "This is a must-have tutorial for any business seeking methods to create and sustain high performance teamwork." -- Bill Hall, Exec. V.P., Duke Power "You're about to engage in a wonderful discovery ... feels like for people to work together to find true solutions." -- From the Foreword by Margaret J. Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science Don has demonstrated effectiveness of his 10-step process in televised sessions with elected officials and diverse groups gaining important breakthroughs. -- Richard Armfield, KSBY TV, an NBC affiliate HARDCOVER JACKET COPY FLAPS How Great Decisions Get Made 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues Don Maruska "Don Maruska's well-tested process makes it possible to reach high-quality decisions based on accessing everyone's good thinking and greatest hopes. He has found the means to bring out people's best qualities their intelligence, their caring, their commitment. His process isn't a new fad piled on top of existing ones. It is a restoration of what has worked through time for people everywhere." from the Foreword by Margaret J. Wheatley In trying to resolve a challenging business issue, twenty people are likely to offer twenty (or more) different approaches. Rational discussion may eliminate some of the less viable choices. But what do you do when you reach the inevitable impasse where diametrically opposed opinions, voiced by passionate and intelligent professionals, block any chance of real progress? Conventional wisdom holds that when an irresistible force meets an immovable object, one should expect sparks. But Don Maruska has developed a practical and universally applicable 10-step process for reaching true agreement, nurturing genuine commitment from all concerned, and moving toward the fulfillment of shared hopes. Proven through more than a decade of successful implementations at Fortune 500 and high-growth companies, Maruska s methodology includes: · Enlisting everyone and discovering shared hopes by inviting hidden talent you avoid creating enemies and multiply your chances of success. · Uncovering the real issues behind the disagreement, laying out all options, and gathering the right information using shared hopes as your lens, you can "see the whole tree before going out on a limb." · Getting everything on the table, writing down choices that support shared hopes, and mapping solutio