Is unanimity in a decision-making body good or bad?
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@evan I think unanimity often means someone is being excluded.
@evan @cassidy If you forced me to vote I'd probably say "more good than bad", because I'm a fan of consensus processes, but the reasons for unanimity matter.
Is it because the members took the time to address everyone's concerns? Is it because the building is surrounded by soldiers who will shoot anyone who dissents?
Without the context of why the decision is unanimous, it's impossible to say whether it's good or bad.
@evan yeah I usually make myself choose an answer, but in this case I don't think I know enough. Consensus is great in my context as a (sometimes practicing) Quaker, with a culture built around managing consensus. But I know I live in a weird bubble and most people have never encountered a consensus process in real life, and maybe have never heard of consensus decision-making. (Also consensus doesn't always mean unanimity.)
@skyfaller life is about making decisions under conditions of uncertainty. If that doesn't seem fun or interesting to you, though, feel free to sit this one out.
@evan I've seen it where board members were pressured to be unanimous and not seriously dissent or bring up things that might bring tension even if they were pertinent. That scenario is not a healthy one, and more common than most realize.
It would be wild if this poll were unanimous
@evan Especially if everyone said "Entirely bad" !
@evan More bad than good. For almost any question worth asking, there's more than one reasonable answer, and unanimity suggests that a dissent wasn't heard.
Consensus is fine, unanimity is a bad sign.