You know the frustration group decisions derailed by a last-minute suggestion? 🤔
Either this sparks a renewed debate about all the options, and the group feels derailed.
Or the person's idea gets nope'd, and they feel rejected. 😔💔
You've just experienced how frustrating it is when the group gets moving, and one person pulls the opposite way.
To avoid this, we must learn how to time our ideas and suggestions appropriately.
Here's how I think about it:
When we're brainstorming, more ideas are perfect.
But when making decisions - we want FEWER ideas, not more. ❌3️⃣
3 Tactics I use to make this flow smoothly.
👤 Ask yourself:
- "As a group, do we need more or less right now?"
- Less = Hold on to it for later.
- If more, make your suggestion.
- And if you want to be sure, ask the group.
🙋♀️ When Facilitating:
- Some folks notice options first, while others lean towards problems. By clarifying the process, everyone knows where to bring their strengths and be most helpful.
- Ask folks before we transition from exploring to eliminating. Making it explicit that we're transitioning helps us shift gears in our brains.
🔄 When giving feedback:
- When someone jumps in with a mistimed option, nudge their behavior towards the right moment.
- "Let's save the flaws for when we get to the eliminating step."
- or "We're removing options now; let's switch out of ideation."
PS In addition to being a better team player, learning to manage my behavior means I can be a better role model as well.📌
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