Essential Characteristics for Participatory

and Shared Decision Making

There are many characteristics that facilitate
participatory and shared decision making. According
to Bloom, (1995) at the heart of this process is trust.
In child care centres, like all organizations, things
tend to get done because of relationships, not
because of job descriptions or formal roles. As a
result interpersonal trust is essential if shared
decision making is to take hold.(p.59). The
supportive interpersonal relationships that exist
within an organisation are the cornerstone for
effective
leadership
and
are
embedded
in
participative management. I work in a Sessional
kindergarten setting which received an exceeding
rating in all National quality areas, when discussing
leadership with the director she said, I felt that I
could ask any staff member to help and they would
go beyond their role to do this. This was because of
the trusting interpersonal relationships which had
been established and the participative management

What is participative management? According to Bloom (2011)

participative managements two main tenets are collaboration and
shared decision making. The participatory-leadership website
(2016) defines Participative management as:

The participatory leadership paradigm is based

on respect and engagement. It constructively
focuses energy in every human to human
encounter. A more advanced, more democratic
and more effective model of leadership, it
harnesses diversity, builds community, and
creates shared responsibility for action. It
deepens individual and collective learning
yielding real development and growth.

http://www.participatoryleadership.com/Site/A_definition_of

Bloom (2011) also emphasises that when executed effectively

participative management can yield such benefits as improved
employee morale, increase job satisfaction, and deeper staff
commitment to the organization (p. 5). Participative management
works from the premise that if people are involved in the decision
making process they feel empowered, take ownership of the
decision and follow through with their commitments to see the
decision to it fruition. Bloom (1995) states that:
Participatory management is based on two
operating assumptions-that individuals have
the right to be involved in making choices
that affect their lives, and that people who
are involved in making decisions will have a
greater stake in those decisions than those
who are not ( p. 55).

In order to adopt a participatory leadership style you need to facilitate

a collaborative and shared decision making approach. Collaborative
leadership and collective responsibility facilitate participatory
management and shared leadership (Rodd, 2013). Not all decisions
within an early childhood setting dictate a collaborative approach and
the decision making process is often prescribed by the type of early
childhood setting and the nature of the decision to be made. An
effective leader is aware of these. Bloom (1995) suggests a framework
for understanding shared decision making which uses four questions:
Who are the stakeholders? What are the different types of decisions to
be made? What are the possible levels of participation? What are the
external constraints? (pp. 56-58). When dissecting the answers to
these questions the leader will have a greater understanding of what
decisions fall under the realm of a shared decision making approach.
This will help determine the levels of participation for each of the
stakeholders and is the first step in the process.