Building Consensus

1. Consultation + Collaboration + Building Consensus in teams
What is it?
- Building consensus is an essential component of working with others as part of a team
- It is especially important while working in a volunteer based organization
What it means:
- Work towards a common goal
- Seek to build agreement with other team members
- Differences of opinion ARE ENCOURAGED – that is how we can share other points of view
- It is good to share thoughts and opinions – as this breeds creativity
- Everyone may not get what they want
- BUT, as long as the goals or objectives are reached, the consensus is reached
- Success criteria must be defined
- In some cases, it may NOT be possible to achieve consensus – in this case, the leaders must
decide what is Plan B? Determine what are the alternatives?
Why is it important to build consensus?
- Team members have different views due to their experiences and thought processes
- To resolve complex problems or problems that are not well defined
- To overcome challenges
- Resolve conflicts
- To reach a common conclusion – to ultimately attain a positive outcome
What are the Benefits of building consensus?
- Better decisions can be made
- Increases the probability of success
- Increases collaboration between team members – better group relationship
- Multiple perspectives are shared - Allows all team members to share their points of view and
develop a common understanding
- Ensures the best possible outcome
- Enables creativity
- Complex problems can be solved with multiple people
- Provides a direction
Principles of Consensus building:
1. Inclusion
2. Participation – every team member should participate in cases where consensus needs to be
built.
3. Co-operation - All the people involved collaborate and build upon each other's concerns and
suggestions to come up with a decision or solution that will satisfy the objectives
4. Solution focused – The team must be focused in trying to reach a positive outcome. They
should not get involved in endless debates or personal attacks.
5. Be flexible
6. Think about the Big Picture – think long term vs. short term
Methodology to build consensus:
1. Provide a background of the issue/challenge.
2. State the objective of the goal you are trying to achieve

2. a. Starting a new project: I am trying to start a new project to do _________.
b. Conflict/Problem situation:
3. State why it is important? What are the benefits?
a. This is a highly important project because of the following reasons…
4. Explain what you want to get out of the discussion – be specific.
a. E.g. I’d like to reach an agreement on this issue
b. OR I’d like to get your opinions and determine what are the possible courses of
action
5. Seek input from the team
6. Write it down – Minutes, Actions, Decisions
7. Seek agreement or a common understanding
8. If an agreement is not possible, consider what compromises have to be made.
Example of building consensus from Islamic history:
Treaty of Hudaybiyyah – best example of building consensus from Islamic history:
 Prophet Muhammad (SAW) saw a dream in which he was ordered to perform Umrah
 This is at the time that he (and all the Muslims) were living in Madinah
 All Muslims were cast out of Makkah – there was great hatred between the Quraish and the
Muslims
 3 battles (Badr, Uhud and Khandaq) had already been fought between the Muslims and the
Quraish
 In 6 A.H., Prophet Muhammad SAW led 1400 Muslims for Umrah – with simple white
garments and no weapons
 This was to show respect for the Ka’bah and to send a message to the Quraish that they were
coming in peace – and simply wanted to perform pilgrimage.
 This incensed the Quraish – who started to assemble an army.
 The Muslims set up camp at Hudaybiyyah – 12km from Makkah.
 The Quraish were not letting the Muslims enter Makkah to perform Umrah
 Prophet Muhammad SAW tried to negotiate with the Quraish peacefully.
 Wave after wave of negotiators came back and forth.
 The Muslims demanded to enter Makkah by force – but Prophet Muhammad refused.
 The Quraish finally agreed to sign a treaty:
 The Prophet (SA) dictated the peace treaty to `Ali (AS) who wrote it down. The Prophet (SA)
ordered him to write: "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful." Suhayl ibn `Amr,
representing the Quraysh, protested and said: "This is your slogan, with which we are not
familiar. Write: `In your name, O Allah!"
 The Prophet (SA) agreed and ordered `Ali (SA) to write accordingly. Then, the Prophet (SA)
ordered him to write: "This is a contract being concluded between Muhammad, Allah's
messenger and the Quraysh". The representative for the Quraysh objected saying: "We do
not regard you as Allah's messenger." Only your followers regard you likewise. If we had
regarded you as Allah's messenger, we would not have fought against you, nor had barred
your entry to Makkah. Write your and your father's name".

3.  Then, he ordered `Ali (AS) to write: "This is a treaty being concluded between Muhammad
ibn `Abdillah and the people of Quraysh".
The conditions:
1. The Muslims shall return this time and come back next year, but they shall not
stay in Makkah for more than three days.
2. They shall not come back armed, but can bring with them sheathed swords
3. War activities shall be suspended for ten years, during which both parties will
live in full security and neither will raise sword against the other.
4. If anyone from Quraish goes over to Muhammad without his guardian’s
permission, he should be sent back to Quraish, but should any of Muhammad’s
followers return to Quraish, he shall not be sent back.
5. Whosoever wishes to join Muhammad, or enter into treaty with him, should
have the liberty to do so; and likewise whosoever wishes to join Quraish, or
enter into treaty with them, should be allowed to do so.
HE MUSLIMS’ DISTRESS:
When the Muslims saw the terms of the truce and what it meant to the Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) of Allah, they were very distressed. The effect on them was so great that Umar ibn al-Khattab
asked Abu Bakr angrily, ‘Did not the Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah say to us that we
were going to go to the Ka’bah and perform tawaf?’
‘Yes. But did he tell you that it was going to be this very year!’
‘No.’
Abu Bakr assured him, ‘You will go there and you will do tawaf.’
When the Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah had finished drawing up the treaty, he
sacrificed a camel and then shaved his head. This was a difficult time for the Muslims because all their
hopes had been dashed. They had left Madinah with the firm intention of entering Makkah and doing
‘umrah. Now they felt beaten and crushed. However, when they saw that the Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) of Allah had made the sacrifice and shaved his head, they rushed to follow his example.
Sources:
http://www.onislam.net/english/shariah/muhammad/his-life/451313-al-hudaybiyah-treaty-part-
3-3.html
http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/consensus-building
http://www.wikihow.com/Reach-a-Consensus