Effective Solution, Decision Quality, and Stakeholder Acceptance The effectiveness of a decision can be assessed through the application of a formula that weighs the factors of the decision's quality and acceptance. This formula is: Ed = Q x A. The formula means the effectiveness of a decision is equal to the quality of the decision times the acceptance of the decisior However, this same principle applies to the effectiveness of a solution. Therefore, a solution can be c high quality, but not be fully accepted by an organization's stakeholders. Likewise, a decision may be less quality than another solution but receive wide acceptance by stakeholders. The formula Es=Qx A means an effective solution is equal to its quality times its acceptance. Keep in mind the following factors that apply to this formula: 1. High quality and low acceptance solution (may be required for urgently needed solutions ( emergencies). 2. High acceptance and low quality solution (may be called for when a less than ideal solution needed to be embraced by stakeholders). 3. High quality and high acceptance solution (the ideal "win-win" solution of optimal quality: universal acceptance). Remember: A high quality solution that is not urgent and not discussed in advance with stakeholders may not be acceptable to those affected by that decision. A key item to learn from the quality and acceptance formula is the need to consider employee and o stakeholder perceptions or acceptance of solutions in our processes. Determining the stakeholders in problem situation requires some considerable thought. Stakeholders often go beyond the obvious people or entities immediately involved in the situation. To figure out who the relevant stakeholders are, think several steps down the line - who are the prin and secondary stakeholders? Who is impacted or influenced right away, and who will be impacted beyond that? For example, if an organization lays off workers, the primary stakeholder groups are th employees (both those laid off and those that remain to take over the work). Secondary stakeholder could be vendors, customers, employees' families, the local community, local businesses, and others When considering stakeholder acceptance, it's important to realize that one stakeholder group migh happy and very willing to embrace a proposed solution to a problem, whereas another stakeholder group might not be happy about it at all. For this reason, it is necessary to define different stakeholc groups and consider each one's degree of acceptance. Consider the relative weight of each stakehol group and what impact their level of acceptance will have on the situation and its resolution. Collect and assessing all of this information will help the problem-solver come up with the best possible solution under the given circumstances.