Deliberating a decision.
A guide for discussing a decision.
This guide contains a set of questions that will reliably move you through a decision defining and recording process. This avoids constantly reviewing questions that have been settled.
Process.
Work through these steps in order during your meeting and write down the answers as you go. Use the detailed section below if the discussion gets stuck.
| Title | Headline |
|---|---|
| Background | What happened before this? |
| Friction | What's the problem we need to fix? |
| Decision question | What exactly are we deciding? |
| Options | What are our other choices? |
| Key requirements | What matters most to us here? |
| Resolution | What did we decide? |
| Why | Why does this option win? |
| Review triggers | When should we look at it again? |
| Next steps | What is still left to do? |
Detailed explanations.
| Background | What happened before? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | The background to understand why this matters. Aim to explain the environment we are in currently. |
| Questions | What has brought us to this? Have we previously made decisions on this issue? Any constraints? |
| Friction | What's the problem we need to fix? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | The gap between where we are now and where we want to be. Surface the specific tension or issue that makes a decision necessary. |
| Questions | What is the specific pain? What if we do nothing? What lies between where we are and where we want to be? |
| Decision question | What exactly are we deciding? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | A clear, concrete question that forces a real choice. Be specific and answerable. |
| Questions | What question are actually asking? Rephrase it using 'Should we…' or 'How can we...'? Focus on priorities not tasks. |
| Alternatives | What were our other choices? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | This is all the genuine alternatives that are considered. It can include doing nothing. |
| Questions | What three different things we could do to solve this? What about doing nothing? Is there a more radical option? |
Detailed explanations.
| Key requirements | What matters most to us here? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | The standards we use to judge our choices. What does a good decision looks like? |
| Questions | What is non-negotiable? How does this hold up to our values? What might we give up? |
| Resolution | What did we decide? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | One clear, short sentence stating what we are going to do. Start with active words like 'We will...". |
| Questions | Can someone state the decision in one sentence? |
| Why | Why did this option win? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | Record the reason for the choice. |
| Questions | What was the deciding factor? How do we explain why we made this choice? |
| Review triggers | When should we look at this again? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | What would indicate this decision may not be working anymore? |
| Questions | How would we realise that this decision was not correct? Is there a date when we should review? |
| Next steps | What's still left to do? |
|---|---|
| Explanation | Record any tasks that emerge from the decision being made. There may be none. |
| Questions | Who is taking ownership of this task and by when? |
Tips.
Hidden decisions
If the group say 'We need more information' you can ask 'Are we making a strategic decision to delay this? And if so what is the review trigger for when we have enough information.
Interruptions
If people interrupt or debate prematurely, point back to the guide and remind them that there is a specific time for every part of the conversation.
Silence is a sign
If the room goes quiet, it usually means the question is too vague or people are overwhelmed. Go back to the decision question and try rephrasing it
Write it where people can see it
If meeting in person or online, share your screen or use a whiteboard to write the answers live. This stops people from repeating themselves.
Democracy is the skill of transparent, shared decision-making, and if it doesn't exist for the small ones, it won't exist for the big ones. muDemocracy teaches this skill.
Getting stuck
If the discussion seems to be going in circles, move to the decision question and ask 'It sounds like we are stuck, what is the actual choice we are trying to make right now?