Unlike majority voting, which merely requires majority approval, consensus seeks agreement from all participants, emphasising communal input and minimising conflicts to ensure everyone agrees on the result.

Yes, consensus promotes negotiation and compromise, which allows opposing viewpoints to be addressed. The goal is to create a middle ground where everyone's ideas are considered, even if they are not completely agreed upon.

Facilitating consensus involves active listening, encouraging participation, recognizing differing opinions, and guiding the group toward solutions that align with common goals, ensuring everyone's voice is valued in the process.

Challenges include conflicting interests, power imbalances, and strong emotional reactions. Overcoming these requires patience, effective communication, and a commitment to collaboration and compromise to reach a common solution.

No, consensus may not always be possible, especially in situations with deeply conflicting interests. However, using techniques like mediation or negotiation can help to reach a satisfactory compromise.

The time required to reach consensus depends on the complexity of the issue and the group's dynamics. It can take from a few minutes to several hours or even days for complicated decisions.

Yes, consensus is highly effective in business settings for team projects, strategic decisions, and organizational changes, fostering collaboration, reducing conflict, and increasing employee buy-in for company-wide initiatives.

Effective consensus-building requires strong communication skills, active listening, empathy, negotiation, conflict resolution, and the ability to facilitate discussions that encourage equal participation and understanding from all members.

While both consensus and collaboration involve working together toward a common goal, consensus focuses specifically on achieving an agreement that all participants can support, whereas collaboration is more about joint effort and contribution.