When you increase participation in the decision making process, this can be time consuming, as there are more opinions and ideas, and it can make it much more difficult to actually reach a conclusion. Often, when we're in the middle of a staff meeting, things can get quite heated. You have different groups of associates with different opinions on what they want to happen, as well as some associates who just want the meeting to end so they can go back to work or go home. Delays in decision making directly undermine my leadership ability, taking time away from other areas of the clinic. I often get too focused on trying to shut down all of my colleagues' ideas and lose focus on other pressing issues 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 where you gather everyone's opinions before implementing new processes or procedures, you may be forced to yield to the group as a whole before making an appropriate choice. It is often possible to miss deadlines due to a lack of resolve in waiting for group consensus. Working in an office made up of more than 90% women may not be the best environment for a participative leadership style as some collaborators may feel frustrated when ideas are not accepted. Conflicts can arise when you have very opinionated colleagues and express beliefs multiple. Dissent between colleagues who believe the other person is better served by management can lead to tension in the department. What was once an opportunity to bring team members together, can ultimately cause confrontation and adverse interaction between them. My participatory leadership only takes half the paper to get to the real problems that need to be addressed. By sending out an agenda a few days before a scheduled meeting and asking members ahead of time if they have any specific issues or concerns that need to be addressed, members will once again feel like they have a vested interest in the meeting. Working closely with team members and focusing on building relationships is key. (Murdock) David Packard once said, “Take risks. Ask great questions. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. If you don't make mistakes, you don't get far enough. (Malone, 2007) I must also realize that while I would like to be able to involve my co-workers in decisions that will affect them in their daily duties; I need to learn to make critical decisions or STAT without asking for group approval. I have to be willing to take risks and make mistakes.