Strive for consensus
20.10.2021
As much as possible, most boards should strive to achieve consensus for all their decisions and official actions. But some misunderstand the meaning of consensus. It does not mean that everybody fully agrees. It means that while all are not in full agreement, the minority understands the reasoning behind the decision and can agree to support it outside the board meeting. This also makes it easier for the board to maintain confidentiality and to speak with one voice.
Striving for complete agreement can slow a board down to a crawl. Sometimes, complete agreement is just not possible. As a last resort, or when time is too short, the board chair should call for a simple vote to determine the matter and move on.