Differences between inquiry approach and advocacy approach in decision making

The following table illustrates the advocacy approach versus the inquiry approach to decision making:

Approaches to decision making

	Advocacy	Inquiry
Concept of decision making	A contest	Collaborative problem solving
Purpose of discussion	Persuasion and lobbying	Testing and evaluation
Participants' role	Spokespeople	Critical thinkers
Patterns of behavior	Strive to persuade others Defend your position Downplay weaknesses	Present balanced arguments Remain open to alternatives Accept constructive criticism
Minority views	Discouraged or dismissed	Cultivated and valued
The outcome	Winners and losers	Collective ownership

While inquiry is an ideal, it is seldom met in practice. It is extremely difficult for individuals to discuss ideas or issues without expressing their opinions. A more realistic and effective technique for arriving at a decision is one that balances advocacy with inquiry.

Group members leave their personal agendas behind and enter the meeting with the intention of acting as unbiased participants.

They may advocate for a position they feel strongly about, but they also inquire into other viewpoints and consider alternatives.

They understand that the goal is to find the best solution for the group as a whole, even if it means that some individuals in the group might be negatively impacted by the decision. Generally, in well-balanced sessions, people share information freely and consider multiple alternatives.