When you increase participation in decision making it can take a long time, because there are more opinions and ideas it can be much more difficult to reach a conclusion. Often when we're in the middle of a staff meeting, it can get pretty heated. You have multiple groups of associates with varying opinions on what they want, as well as a few associates who just want the meeting to end so they can return to work or go home. Delays in decision-making directly weaken my leadership ability. , taking time away from other areas of the clinic. I often focus too much on reviewing all of my associates' ideas, which causes me to lose focus on other pressing matters I need to address. When decisions need to be made quickly, participant leadership can sometimes get in the way. If you have created an environment to get everyone's opinions before implementing new processes or procedures, you may have to give in to the group as a whole before making an appropriate choice. Deadlines can often be missed due to lack of determination while waiting for group consensus. Working in an office that is more than ninety percent women is sometimes not the best environment for a participative leadership style, as some associates may become frustrated when their ideas are not accepted. Conflicts can arise when you have very opinionated associates and multiple beliefs. Dissension between associates who feel that the other person is more taken care of by management can lead to tension within the department. What was once an opportunity to bring team members together can ultimately cause confrontation and negative interactions among them. My participative leadership...... middle of paper ...... takes all the time to address the real issues at hand. must be addressed. By sending out an agenda a few days before a scheduled meeting and asking associates beforehand if they have any specific issues or concerns that need to be addressed, associates will feel like they once again have a vested interest in the meeting. Working closely with team members and focusing on relationship building is essential. (Murdock) David Packard once said, “Take risks. Ask big questions. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. If you're not making mistakes, you're not going far enough. (Malone, 2007) I must also realize that although I would like to be able to include my associates in decisions that will affect them in their daily tasks; I must learn to make critical or STAT decisions without seeking group approval. I must be willing to take risks and make mistakes.