gh-lyndonkl-claude/skills/facilitation-patterns/resources/methodology.md

Facilitation Patterns Methodology

Advanced techniques for pattern selection, agenda design, facilitation, handling dynamics, decision-making, and remote collaboration.

Workflow

Facilitation Planning Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Define session objectives
- [ ] Step 2: Select facilitation pattern
- [ ] Step 3: Design agenda
- [ ] Step 4: Prepare materials and logistics
- [ ] Step 5: Facilitate the session
- [ ] Step 6: Close and follow up

Step 1-3: Define objectives, select pattern, design agenda → See 1. Pattern Selection Guide and 2. Agenda Design Principles

Step 4: Prepare logistics → See resources/template.md

Step 5: Facilitate → See 3. Facilitation Techniques and 4. Handling Difficult Dynamics

Step 6: Close and follow up → See 5. Decision-Making Methods for ensuring clarity

---

1. Pattern Selection Guide

Decision Tree

Question 1: What's the primary objective?

A. Generate ideas / explore options (Divergent)

• Group size: <15 people → Brainstorm pattern
• Group size: >15 people → Breakouts first, then report back

B. Make a decision / choose direction (Convergent)

• Clear criteria exist → Decision Workshop pattern
• Criteria need to be defined → Alignment session first, then decision

C. Build shared understanding / align (Convergence on mental model)

• Strategy or vision alignment → Alignment Session pattern
• Tactical alignment (who does what) → Working Session pattern

D. Reflect and improve (Retrospective)

• After sprint/project → Retrospective pattern
• After incident → Postmortem pattern (blameless, focus on systems)

E. Prototype and validate (Design)

• High uncertainty, big decision → Design Sprint pattern (5 days)
• Medium uncertainty, smaller scope → Rapid prototyping workshop (1 day)

Question 2: What's the group size?

• 3-5 people: Simple discussion format, less structure needed
• 6-10 people: Ideal for most patterns, can have whole-group discussion
• 11-20 people: Need breakouts for discussion, report back to whole group
• 20+: Presentation + Q&A + breakouts, or multiple sessions

Question 3: How much time?

• <30 min: Standup, quick sync, tactical decision
• 30-60 min: Focused brainstorm or simple decision
• 60-120 min: Decision workshop, retrospective, working session
• Half day (3-4 hours): Alignment, planning, deep dive
• Full day+: Design sprint, strategy offsite, training

Pattern Matching Table

Goal	Pattern	Time	Group Size	Output
Generate ideas	Brainstorm	30-60 min	5-10	30-100 ideas
Prioritize options	Decision Workshop	90-120 min	5-10	Ranked list or decision
Align on vision	Alignment Session	2-4 hours	10-30	Shared understanding
Reflect on sprint	Retrospective	60-90 min	5-8	2-3 improvements
Design solution	Design Sprint	5 days	5-7	Tested prototype
Tactical planning	Working Session	90-120 min	4-8	Plan with owners
Incident review	Postmortem	2-3 hours	5-12	Root cause, actions

---

2. Agenda Design Principles

The Diverge-Converge Diamond

Most effective sessions follow this flow:

Start (Narrow) → Diverge (Expand) → Converge (Narrow) → Decide (Narrow)

Example:
1. Frame the problem (narrow focus)
2. Individual brainstorm (diverge - many ideas)
3. Cluster ideas, discuss themes (converge - patterns emerge)
4. Dot vote on top ideas (decide - commit to 3-5)

Why it works: Diverge prevents premature convergence (jumping to first idea). Converge prevents paralysis (too many options). Structure creates productive tension.

Time-Boxing Principles

Parkinson's Law: Work expands to fill available time. Tight time-boxes → focus.

Guidelines:

• 5-10 min: Quick individual task (write ideas, read doc)
• 15-20 min: Small group discussion or activity
• 25-30 min: Deep discussion or complex activity (max before energy drops)
• 45-60 min: Absolute max without break (diminishing returns after)
• 10-15% buffer: Add slack for overruns (60 min session → schedule 70 min)

Time warnings: Give "5 minutes left" and "2 minutes, wrap up" warnings. Keeps people aware.

Cutting activities: If running over, don't extend (trains bad behavior). Either ruthlessly cut remaining topics or schedule follow-up.

Energy Arc

Energy curve: High at start (fresh), dips mid-session (fatigue), can lift at end (urgency).

Design for energy:

• Start with easy win: Quick activity to build momentum (not heavy content immediately)
• Hard thinking mid-session: Complex discussion or decision when energy still good (not at end)
• Vary modalities: Alternate sitting/standing, individual/group, talking/silent, consuming/creating
• Breaks: Every 60-90 min (5-10 min). Non-negotiable for 2+ hour sessions.
• Energizers: Quick activities to lift energy (stretch, music, movement, game)
• End strong: Clear summary, appreciation, next steps (not "we're out of time, bye")

Activity Sequencing

Good sequences:

1. Individual → Pairs → Small Group → Whole Group (1-2-4-All)
   • Ensures everyone thinks first (not dominated by fast talkers)
2. Silent → Verbal (write first, then discuss)
   • Prevents groupthink, gives introverts processing time
3. Generate → Cluster → Prioritize (brainstorm workflow)
   • Diverge (ideas), converge (themes), decide (priority)
4. Presentation → Q&A → Discussion → Decision
   • Context first, clarify, explore, then commit

Bad sequences:

• Starting with whole-group discussion (dominators take over, no equal participation)
• Critique during idea generation (kills creativity)
• Decision before discussion (premature, low buy-in)

---

3. Facilitation Techniques

Ensuring Participation

Problem: Some people dominate, others silent. Leads to groupthink or missing perspectives.

Techniques:

Round Robin: Each person speaks in turn (30 sec - 2 min each). Can't interrupt or pass.

• Use when: Want to hear from everyone, equal airtime important
• Variation: Popcorn (people nominate next speaker, ensures network spreads)

1-2-4-All: Individual (1 min think alone) → Pairs (2 min discuss) → Fours (4 min synthesize) → All (report themes)

• Use when: Complex question, want deep thinking before sharing
• Benefit: Introverts process privately first, extroverts get multiple discussion rounds

Silent Writing / Brain-writing: Everyone writes ideas on sticky notes or shared doc (5-10 min), no talking

• Use when: Brainstorming, want to avoid groupthink
• Benefit: Parallel idea generation (10 people generate 50 ideas in 5 min vs 30 min talking)

Breakout Rooms (physical or virtual): Small groups (3-5 people) discuss, then report back

• Use when: >10 people, need deeper discussion than whole-group allows
• Tip: Give clear prompt and time limit (15-20 min). Visit rooms to check progress.

Anonymous Input: Use tools (Slido, Mentimeter, shared doc) for questions or ideas without names

• Use when: Sensitive topics, power dynamics (boss in room), psychological safety low

Equalize speaking time: Set explicit time limits (2 min per person), use timer, enforce gently

• Tip: "I'm going to ask everyone to keep responses to 2 minutes so we hear from all."

Managing Time

Visible timer: Shared screen timer or physical clock. Everyone sees time remaining.

Time-keeper role: Delegate to someone (not facilitator) to give warnings ("5 min left", "time")

Ruthless cutting: If activity runs over, don't extend (trains people to respect time-box). Either cut remaining topics or defer to follow-up.

Buffer in agenda: Add 10-15% slack. If 5 activities × 10 min each = 50 min, schedule 60 min.

Capturing Outputs

Visible board: Everyone sees same thing (whiteboard, Mural, shared doc projected). Reduces misunderstanding.

Scribe role: Delegate note-taking to someone (not facilitator). Facilitator focuses on process.

Structured capture:

• Decisions: What was decided, rationale, who, when
• Action items: Specific, owner, due date
• Parking lot: Topics for later (important but off-agenda)
• Key insights: Themes, patterns, surprising learnings

Post-session: Share notes within 24 hours. Faster = better (while fresh).

---

4. Handling Difficult Dynamics

Dominating Participants

Symptoms: Same 2-3 people talking entire time, others silent, depth of contribution varies.

Interventions:

• Round robin: Force equal airtime
• Direct invite: "We haven't heard from [name] yet. What's your take?"
• Interrupt gently: "Thanks [name], let me pause you there and hear from others first."
• Set ground rules upfront: "Step up, step back" (if you talk a lot, make space; if quiet, push to contribute)
• Private chat (if recurring): "I appreciate your input. Can you help me by holding space for quieter folks?"

Silent Participants

Causes: Introverted, processing time needed, intimidated, disagree but don't want conflict, multitasking.

Interventions:

• Silent writing first: Gives time to think before talking
• Pairs before whole group: Safer to talk to one person first
• Direct invite (gently): "We haven't heard from you, [name]. What do you think?" (Don't force if they decline)
• Chat box / anonymous: Can type thoughts if uncomfortable speaking
• Offline: "I noticed you were quiet. Any thoughts you didn't get to share?"

Don't assume: Silence doesn't always mean disengagement. Some process internally.

Conflict or Disagreement

Normal and healthy (if managed well). Different perspectives → better decisions.

Interventions:

• Surface it: "I hear two different views. Let's understand each fully before deciding."
• Steelman each position: Ask each person to restate other's view ("What's the strongest argument for their position?")
• Clarify trade-offs: "What are we optimizing for? What do we gain/lose with each option?"
• Separate people from ideas: "We're debating the idea, not attacking each other."
• Decision method clarity: "Here's how we'll decide after hearing all views: [vote, consensus, advisory]."
• Escalate if needed: "We're stuck. Let's take to [decision-maker] with both views and recommendation."

Avoid: Rushing to resolution, dismissing minority view, facilitator taking side.

Tangents or Off-Topic

Symptoms: Discussion drifts from agenda, pursuing interesting but irrelevant thread.

Interventions:

• Parking lot: "That's important, but off today's agenda. I'll capture it here and we'll address later."
• Refocus: "Let's come back to the question: [restate agenda item]."
• Check with group: "This is interesting but not on agenda. Do we want to spend time on this or stay focused?" (Usually folks choose focus)

Prevention: Clear agenda upfront, ground rules about staying on-topic, strong facilitator.

Low Energy or Disengagement

Symptoms: Laptops open, sidebar conversations, people leaving room, glazed looks.

Interventions:

• Break: "Let's take 5 min. I see energy dropping."
• Energizer: Quick physical activity (stand, stretch, music, game)
• Change format: Switch from presentation to discussion, or whole-group to breakouts
• Check in: "I'm sensing low energy. What's going on? Do we need to adjust?"
• Stop early: If session isn't working, better to cut short than push through. "This isn't landing. Let's regroup."

Prevention: Vary activities (don't lecture for 90 min), breaks every 60-90 min, start strong.

Power Dynamics

Symptoms: Boss in room → people defer, don't speak candidly. New person → intimidated. Hierarchy suppresses dissent.

Interventions:

• Boss speaks last: Explicitly ask senior person to hold input until others share
• Anonymous input: Use tools so contributions not attributed
• Small groups: Mix hierarchy levels, or group by level (peers discuss first)
• Ground rules: "Challenge ideas, not people" + "No rank in this room for next 90 min"
• Private channels: 1:1s for sensitive topics hierarchy prevents

Facilitator neutrality: Don't align with boss or senior person. Protect space for dissent.

---

5. Decision-Making Methods

Consensus

Definition: Everyone must agree (or at least accept) the decision.

Process: Discuss until all objections resolved. Ask "Can you live with this?" (not "Do you love it?")

Pros: High buy-in, all voices heard, surfaces concerns early

Cons: Slow (can take hours or multiple sessions), one person can block, pressure to conform

Use when: High-stakes, irreversible decisions. Team needs to deeply own outcome. Time available.

Red flags: Fake consensus (people agree publicly but disagree privately). Dominators steamroll minority.

Consent (Sociocracy)

Definition: No one has a "principled objection" (i.e., decision is "safe to try").

Process: Propose decision. Ask "Any objections?" If objection, explore: Is it principled (violates values, causes harm) or preference (I'd rather do X)? Principled → revise proposal. Preference → document but proceed.

Pros: Faster than consensus, surfaces critical objections, empowers minority voice

Cons: Requires discipline (distinguishing principled vs preference), unfamiliar to many

Use when: Need speed but also safety. Experimental decisions (can reverse if fails). Sociocratic orgs.

Majority Vote

Definition: >50% wins (or 2/3, or other threshold).

Process: Present options, clarify, vote (show of hands, poll, secret ballot). Majority wins.

Pros: Fast, clear outcome, democratic

Cons: Minority may feel unheard, low buy-in from losers, binary (can't combine ideas)

Use when: Simple choices, time pressure, democratic process expected, low controversy

Variations:

• Ranked choice: Vote for 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice. Eliminates least popular iteratively.
• Dot voting: Each person gets N dots to allocate across options. Visual, quick prioritization.

Advisory (Input-Driven)

Definition: One person makes decision after gathering input from group.

Process: Present options, gather feedback/concerns, decision-maker weighs input and decides. Announces decision with rationale.

Pros: Fast, accountable (one person owns), scalable (doesn't require everyone to agree)

Cons: Can feel top-down if not communicated well, decision-maker may ignore input

Use when: Decision-maker clear, they have context others lack, time pressure, precedent for this authority

Keys: Announce upfront ("I'll make call with your input"), genuinely consider input, explain rationale.

Delegation

Definition: Empower a subset (person or small group) to decide within constraints.

Process: Define decision space ("You can decide X, Y, Z within budget $N and timeframe T"). Delegate. Group decides autonomously. Reports back.

Pros: Scales well, develops autonomy, fast (no coordination overhead)

Cons: Requires trust, may make suboptimal choice (lack full context), others may feel excluded

Use when: Decision is specialized (subset has expertise), trust high, decision reversible, empowerment valued

Comparison Table

Method	Speed	Buy-in	Use When
Consensus	Slow	Very High	High-stakes, irreversible, time available
Consent	Medium	High	Experimental, need safety + speed
Majority Vote	Fast	Medium	Simple choice, democratic process
Advisory	Fast	Medium	Clear decision-maker, time pressure
Delegation	Very Fast	Varies	Specialized, trust high, empowerment

---

6. Remote Facilitation Best Practices

Synchronous (Live Video)

Challenges: Harder to read body language, tech issues, "Zoom fatigue", harder to manage participation.

Best practices:

• Cameras on (if possible, respect privacy): Increases engagement, body language visible
• Mute when not speaking: Reduces background noise
• Use chat: Parallel channel for questions, links, emoji reactions, jokes (humanizes)
• Breakout rooms: Small groups for discussion (easier than 15 people on main call)
• Visual board: Mural, Miro, Google Jamboard. Everyone contributes simultaneously.
• Shorter sessions: 90 min max without break (Zoom fatigue real). Prefer 60 min.
• More breaks: Every 45-60 min (5 min break). People need screen rest.
• Explicit turn-taking: Harder to read cues. Use hand-raise feature, or round robin.
• Share agenda in chat: Pin message or share screen. Easy reference.
• Tech check: "Can everyone see screen? Hear me okay?" at start.

Tools:

• Video: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
• Collaboration: Mural, Miro, Figma, Google Jamboard, Lucidspark
• Voting: Slido, Mentimeter, Poll Everywhere, built-in Zoom polls
• Anonymous Q&A: Slido, Mentimeter (reduces hierarchy)

Asynchronous

When to use: Global teams (time zones), deep thinking needed, no urgency, writing > talking.

Process:

1. Post prompt: Clear question, context, examples, deadline (24-48h)
2. Async responses: People respond in shared doc, thread, video (Loom)
3. Synthesize: Facilitator (or AI) summarizes themes, patterns, questions
4. Sync session (optional): Short call (30-60 min) to discuss, clarify, decide based on async input
5. Document decision: Write up, share with all

Best practices:

• Clear prompts: Specific questions, not vague ("What do you think about X?"). Example: "What are the top 3 risks for this feature launch? For each, suggest a mitigation."
• Deadline: Give 24-48h for responses. Longer → people forget.
• Acknowledge contributions: React to comments, thank people for input
• Thread discussions: Use threaded replies (Slack, Notion, Google Docs comments) so conversations organized
• Synthesis required: Don't expect participants to read 50 comments. Facilitator summarizes.

Tools:

• Docs: Google Docs (comments), Notion, Confluence
• Threads: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord
• Video: Loom (async video responses)
• Forms: Google Forms, Typeform (structured input)

Hybrid (Some In-Person, Some Remote)

Hardest to facilitate well: Remote folks feel like second-class participants.

Best practices:

• Equalize participation: Use digital tools even for in-person folks (everyone on laptop + Mural, not whiteboard that remote can't access)
• Camera for room: If in-person group, aim camera at room so remote see body language and who's speaking
• Explicit turn-taking: "Let's hear from remote folks first, then in-person."
• Assign in-room advocate: Someone in-person watches chat, relays remote comments aloud
• Minimize hybrid if possible: Strongly prefer all-remote or all-in-person. Hybrid is hardest.

---

Summary

Pattern selection: Match pattern to objective (divergent brainstorm, convergent decision, alignment, retro, design sprint). Consider group size, time available.

Agenda design: Follow diverge-converge flow, time-box ruthlessly, design for energy arc (breaks every 60-90 min, vary modalities).

Facilitation techniques: Ensure participation (round robin, 1-2-4-All, silent writing, breakouts), manage time (visible timer, buffer), capture outputs (visible board, scribe, structured notes).

Difficult dynamics: Handle dominators (round robin, interrupt gently), silent participants (writing first, pairs, direct invite), conflict (surface it, clarify trade-offs, decision method), tangents (parking lot), low energy (breaks, energizers, stop early), power dynamics (boss speaks last, anonymous).

Decision methods: Consensus (slow, high buy-in), consent (safe to try, faster), vote (fast, democratic), advisory (input-driven, one person decides), delegation (empower subset). Choose based on stakes, time, trust.

Remote facilitation: Synchronous (cameras on, chat, visual boards, shorter sessions, more breaks, explicit turn-taking). Asynchronous (clear prompts, deadlines, synthesis required). Hybrid (hardest - equalize participation, minimize if possible).

Final principle: Facilitation is about process, not content. Facilitator guides how group works together, stays neutral on what group decides. Strong process → better outcomes.