Although the building of an open communication environment is of great value, even essential, it is best viewed as the foundation building needed for a management team. I m asked this question often, and the answer is often hard to explain but very clear to see. Possibly, the best way to differentiate between the two is the term power sharing. A Problem-Solving Team normally will have learned the same analytical skills, and established the same Team Agreements as a Decision Team. By contrast, the Decision Team has a predefined list of areas of decision-making authority where the Team works on the problem until they reach consensus.
Decisions tend to get made much faster, i.e., there is much less procrastination.
There will be more initiation of proposals, more innovations, and thus more change. There will be more commitment to the decisions made, and thus, more effective implementation of the decision. My observation through the years is that when people know they are responsible, they behave differently. In fact, it is common in a Problem-Solving Team to see members miss meetings, often causing postponement, be unprepared for meetings, and suppress conflict and confrontation during meetings. Research shows that open confrontation of differences, and pursuing these differences through consensus resolution, is essential for creativity, and commitment of all members to the decision.