Facilitation at Different Stages - Julia Västrik

Navigating the Stages of Group Decision-Making: Facilitation Techniques and Exercises to use at different stages

Ever felt stuck deciding which activity to use during a team decision-making session?

When facilitating, it’s essential to begin by understanding the dynamics of the decision-making process: the stages, the goals of each stage, and how to handle the challenges that might arise.

Once you have that foundation, it’s useful to have a toolbox of activities for different stages. Knowing the principles makes it easier to think on your feet and choose the right activity to achieve the goal of the stage, with this specific group and the overall goal of the session. But having a set of tried-and-true activities to draw from can be a real lifesaver—and experimenting with them helps refine your “go-to” techniques, while also keeping things fresh for you.

In this article, I’ve collected practical exercises for each stage of the decision-making process, along with facilitation tips I’ve found helpful. Feel free to use and share them.

Stage 0: Set the Stage
Stage 1: Divergent Thinking
Stage 2: The Groan Zone
Stage 3: Convergent Thinking
Stage 4: Summarize

The Challenges of Group Decision-Making

What fascinates me the most about facilitation is witnessing a group of people combine their creativity, experience, intellectual capabilities, and critical thinking to develop a totally new solution that didn’t exist before.

It’s incredible to see how diverse perspectives come together to create something truly valuable through collective, participatory decision-making.

However, this collaborative effort is not without its challenges.

More often than not, it’s not something easy or natural that happens on its own without guiding the process. It can be pretty difficult and drain the energy of the participants. There are often too many diverse ideas, and it can be unclear what to do with them.

So, often, the decisions are made way too soon, not going out of space with familiar options and obvious solutions.

This is totally fine for “business-as-usual” operational decisions, but it produces very mediocre solutions for really difficult and complex problems, which require different approaches: first really understanding the problem, and then collaborating, having the diversity of ideas and backgrounds to find non-trivial effective solutions.

This process also requires time—a lot of it. Too often, we try to be efficient and not “waste our time on endless discussions,” just agreeing on something when everybody is really tired of arguing.

This is where the role of a skillful facilitator becomes crucial. Not only do they guide the group through the complexities of the decision-making process, but they also help the group understand its dynamics and not be intimidated by it.

“Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making” by Sam Kaner is one of the books that I use a lot for my work. The most breakthrough part of it for me was The Diamond Model of Participation. It explained many difficulties that I faced during group decision-making processes before and taught me not to be afraid of it, as this is part of a natural process. The dreaded Groan Zone gives us an opportunity to explore different options and possibilities, as well as understand better the ideas and points of view of other participants.

Here, you will find facilitation tips, techniques and exercises that you can use at different stages of facilitation.

Stage 1: Divergent Thinking

See also: Stage 0: Set The Stage

Purpose: To open up the discussion, generate ideas, and gather diverse perspectives without judgment.

In the divergent thinking stage, participants are encouraged to brainstorm freely, think outside the box, and share all ideas—even the unconventional ones. This stage is about expanding possibilities and fostering an environment where participants feel safe to share.

Facilitation Tips:

Encourage openness by setting the expectation that there are no “wrong” ideas.
Remind participants to suspend judgment and embrace diverse viewpoints.
Avoid groupthink by allowing individuals to think independently before sharing their ideas with others. Then, encourage building on each other’s ideas after sharing.
Resist the temptation to settle for the obvious solutions.
Use tools that support non-linear thinking, like mind maps or Crazy 8s, which allow ideas to flow without restrictions.

Suggested Exercises:

Silent Brainstorming (Brainwriting): For groups where some members might be quieter, silent brainstorming allows everyone to write down their ideas individually before sharing them, ensuring full participation.
Reverse Brainstorming: Ask participants to brainstorm ways to make the problem worse or achieve the opposite of their goal. Then, reverse these ideas to uncover creative and practical solutions.
Mind Mapping: This visual brainstorming technique helps organize ideas around a central theme, making it easier to identify connections between concepts.
Crazy 8s: This quick exercise is ideal for generating a high volume of ideas in a short time. Participants sketch eight ideas in eight minutes, allowing them to tap into their creative potential.
What If?: Pose hypothetical scenarios, such as “What if we had no budget constraints?” or “What if this problem had to be solved by children?” These prompts encourage participants to break out of their usual mindset and explore unconventional solutions.
100 Ideas in 10 Minutes: A fast-paced group challenge to generate as many ideas as possible within 10 minutes. The focus on quantity helps participants push past conventional ideas and tap into their creativity.
Round Robin Brainstorming: Participants take turns sharing ideas in a structured round. This ensures everyone contributes and helps quieter individuals participate fully in the process.
Pre-Mortem: A proactive technique to identify potential challenges before they occur. Participants imagine the project or decision has failed and brainstorm all possible reasons why. Once the list is created, the group discusses ways to prevent or address these potential issues.

Stage 2: The Groan Zone

Purpose: To explore and debate ideas, build mutual understanding, and start moving towards potential solutions.

The Groan Zone is where things often get tricky. As participants dive deeper into the options generated, conflicting perspectives and priorities may arise. This stage is critical for building mutual understanding but can be challenging to navigate due to the diversity of ideas and potential disagreements.

Facilitation Tips:

Emphasize active listening and respectful questioning to help participants understand each other’s viewpoints.
Use structured exercises to maintain focus and prevent discussions from becoming chaotic.
Encourage patience and remind the group that this stage is essential for reaching a consensus.
Be ready that it might take more time than planned
Control the participants’ energy levels and take breaks when needed. Having snacks might also be very beneficial, as well as encouraging the participants to make physical movements.

Suggested Exercises:

1-2-4-All: A Liberating Structure that progressively builds consensus by having participants reflect individually, discuss in pairs, then in groups of four, and finally, share insights with the whole group.
Fishbowl Discussions: A small group sits in a circle (the “fishbowl”), with one seat left empty, to discuss an idea while others observe from outside the circle. Observers can join the discussion by sitting in the empty chair. When someone enters the fishbowl, a participant already in the circle must leave to ensure one seat remains free at all times. This rotation keeps the discussion dynamic and inclusive.
Devil’s Advocate Debate: Assign someone to challenge ideas constructively, helping the group refine them and consider potential flaws.
Stakeholder Walkthrough: Participants take on the roles of different stakeholders (e.g., customer, team member, manager) and discuss how each idea impacts them. This helps the group refine ideas by considering diverse perspectives.
Hot Seat: Select one idea and have it “defended” by one participant in the “hot seat” while others ask probing questions. This helps the group explore the idea more deeply and identify its strengths and weaknesses.
World Café: Set up small group discussions at several “tables,” with each table focusing on a different aspect of the problem. Rotate participants between tables, allowing ideas to evolve through diverse contributions.
6 Thinking Hats: This exercise invites participants to analyze ideas from different perspectives—such as emotional, logical, and creative lenses—fostering comprehensive understanding.
Spectrum Mapping: Write opposing viewpoints or extremes (e.g., “high risk” vs. “low risk”) at opposite ends of a spectrum. Ask participants to place ideas along the spectrum, helping visualize and discuss trade-offs.
Affinity Grouping: Participants group similar ideas together, creating clusters that highlight patterns or themes. This helps organize the discussion and identify commonalities among diverse viewpoints.
Empathy Mapping: Participants explore an idea from the perspective of the people impacted by it (e.g., what they think, feel, say, or do). This exercise promotes mutual understanding and reveals hidden implications.
SWOT Analysis: Analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of each idea. This structured approach helps participants evaluate ideas holistically.
Root Cause Analysis: This exercise focuses on identifying the underlying causes of a problem or challenge rather than just addressing its symptoms. Participants use tools like the 5 Whys (asking “why” repeatedly until the root cause is revealed) or a fishbone diagram (categorizing potential causes into groups such as people, processes, or technology).

Stage 3: Convergent Thinking

Purpose: To evaluate ideas, prioritize them, and reach a decision that the group can commit to.

In the convergent thinking stage, the goal is to narrow down the options generated and focus on selecting the best solutions. This phase requires clear criteria and structured techniques to guide the group from possibilities to a final decision.

Facilitation Tips:

Summarize key points frequently to help participants focus on the most relevant ideas.
Use decision-making tools that allow the group to evaluate ideas objectively.
Aim for consensus but be prepared to encourage commitment to the group decision, even if it isn’t everyone’s top choice.

Suggested Exercises:

Dot Voting: Participants place dots next to their preferred options, making it easy to visualize the group’s priorities.
Effort-Impact Matrix: Helps the group evaluate each idea based on its feasibility and potential impact, guiding the focus toward practical solutions.
Ranking or Rating: Ask participants to rank ideas in order of preference or assign ratings on a scale (e.g., 1–5). Use the rankings to facilitate a discussion about the group’s top choices.
Silent Prioritization: Have participants individually prioritize ideas without discussion, then share their rankings with the group. This prevents dominant voices from influencing initial preferences and ensures all opinions are heard.
Silent Prioritization in Turns: Participants prioritize ideas as a group, but in silence. Each person takes turns performing one action per round, such as moving an idea up or down a list, grouping ideas, or marking their preference. This process continues until priorities are clear. It minimizes groupthink and ensures equal participation.
Decision Matrix: Evaluate ideas using agreed-upon criteria (e.g., cost, time, impact). Assign scores to each criterion, tally them up, and discuss the results to decide which idea aligns best with the group’s priorities.
Weighted Voting: Assign each participant a set number of points (e.g., 10) that they can distribute among ideas as they see fit. This method adds nuance to the group’s preferences, as participants can allocate points based on their level of support for each idea.
Consensus Building: Facilitate a structured discussion to identify a solution everyone can support, even if it’s not their first choice. Use phrases like “What would need to change for you to support this idea?”
Fist to Five: A quick consensus-building tool where participants indicate their level of agreement by showing 0–5 fingers (fist = strong disagreement, 5 = full support). The facilitator observes responses and invites discussion if concerns are raised (e.g., low scores). This ensures efficient decision-making while addressing objections inclusively.
Roman Voting: A simple and quick decision-making method where participants vote on a proposal by showing a physical gesture:
- Thumbs Up: Agreement or support for the proposal.
- Thumbs Down: Disagreement or objection.
- Thumbs Sideways: Neutral or uncertain.
- The facilitator observes the votes and tallies the results. If there are objections (thumbs down), the group can discuss concerns and refine the proposal before re-voting. Roman Voting is effective for gauging group sentiment quickly while allowing space for further discussion if needed.

See also: Stage 4: Summarize

Additional Possible Stages

In addition to the core stages of Divergent Thinking, the Groan Zone, and Convergent Thinking, there are two tentative stages that can enhance the group decision-making process—one before it begins and one after it concludes. These stages, Setting the Stage and Summarize, can either be viewed as separate steps or as integral parts of the first (Set the Stage) and last (Convergent Thinking) stages. Incorporating them ensures a more effective and impactful decision-making experience.

Stage 0: Set the Stage

Purpose: To align participants with the purpose of the session, highlight the importance of solving the challenges at hand, foster a psychologically safe environment, and activate creative thinking.

This stage sets the tone for the entire process. It’s an opportunity to establish a shared understanding, create a supportive atmosphere, motivate and inspire people with the goal, and ignite creative energy. Starting with a strong foundation ensures that participants feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions and are mentally and emotionally prepared to contribute effectively to the decision-making process.

Facilitation Tips:

Clearly articulate the purpose of the session and why the challenge matters, connecting it to the larger goals of the group or organization.
Set clear norms, such as “all ideas are welcome” and “respect everyone’s input,” to build psychological safety.
Use light and engaging warm-up activities to help participants shift their focus to the session and think creatively.
If you want participants to maximize their creativity during the session, it’s a good idea to start with activities that ignite their creative thinking. Creativity-boosting ice-breakers, such as asking participants to “Find 100 ways to use a pencil in 5 minutes,” are excellent for warming up the participants’ creativity and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking. These exercises help participants transition from their usual analytical mindset into a more creative and exploratory mode, setting the tone for innovative problem-solving.

Suggested Exercises:

Purpose Alignment Questions: Ask participants to answer questions like, “Why is this challenge important to you?” or “What’s one thing you hope to achieve today?”
Expectation Check-In: Ask participants to share one thing they hope to achieve during the session. Write these on a board or flip chart to reflect the group’s shared expectations and ensure they feel heard.
Psychological Safety Check-In: Create a “check-in round” where participants share one word or feeling about how they’re entering the session. This simple exercise helps create empathy and connection.
Working Agreements or Collaborative Ground Rules: Co-create the norms for the session by asking participants to propose rules that will help everyone feel safe and engaged (e.g., “Let’s keep ideas judgment-free”). This establishes psychological safety and shared accountability.
Purpose Mapping: Begin by collaboratively creating a visual map of the session’s purpose. Ask participants to share why the challenge matters to them, linking individual motivations to the collective goal. This creates alignment and sets a clear focus for the session.
“Imagine the Future” Exercise: Ask participants to visualize success by imagining the outcome of the session one year later. Have them share what success looks like, focusing on the impact of their decisions. This inspires motivation and sets a positive tone.
Personal Connection Sharing: Ask each participant to share a short story or experience related to the challenge or topic. This builds empathy, connection, and engagement with the session’s purpose.
Brainwriting Warm-Up: Provide participants with a quick prompt related to the challenge (e.g., “What are some wild possibilities to solve this problem?”). Have them write their ideas silently for 3–5 minutes before sharing. This engages their creativity early on.
Rapid Fire Creativity Challenge: Use a fast-paced activity like “List 20 Unconventional Uses for a Common Object (e.g., a paperclip).” This energizes participants and opens their minds to innovative thinking.
Mindset Shifting Questions: Pose thought-provoking questions to shift participants into a creative mindset, such as:
- “If this problem didn’t exist, what would our world look like?”
- “What’s the boldest way to approach this challenge?”
Mood Board: Provide markers, sticky notes, or images and ask participants to create a collective mood board representing their hopes for the session. This builds excitement and fosters creativity.

Stage 4: Summarize

Purpose: To consolidate the decisions made, ensure shared understanding, and secure commitment from the group to follow through.

The Summarize stage provides closure and clarity, ensuring that all participants are aligned on the outcomes of the session. It also helps build accountability and momentum for implementing the decisions. A strong summary fosters a sense of accomplishment and reinforces the group’s commitment to moving forward.

Facilitation Tips:

Clearly restate the key decisions and summarize the rationale behind them to ensure everyone has a shared understanding.
Capture decisions visually (e.g., on a whiteboard or in notes) so they are tangible and can be referenced later.
Encourage participants to reflect on the process and validate the group’s efforts.
Transition naturally into assigning next steps and responsibilities, ensuring the decision leads to action.

Suggested Exercises:

Action Map: Work as a group to identify next steps, responsibilities, and timelines to ensure the decisions are implemented.

Decision Recap Round: Ask participants, “What are the most important takeaways from today’s session?” to confirm alignment.

Reflection Circle: Give participants an opportunity to share one thing they appreciated about the process or one insight they’re taking away.

Commitment Check: Ask each participant to state how they feel about the decision and what they commit to doing next.

Decision Recap: Go over the main points of the decision, asking participants to confirm their understanding and agreement. Use phrases like, “Does this reflect what we’ve agreed upon?”

Feedback Round: Invite participants to share brief reflections on the session, such as what worked well and what they found most valuable.

Action Planning: Break the decision into actionable steps, assigning tasks and deadlines to specific participants.

Future Vision Statement: Ask participants to imagine the outcome of their decision in a few months or years, helping to build commitment and excitement about the results.

Navigating Between Stages

The facilitator’s role is to guide the group smoothly through transitions, ensuring no valuable ideas are lost while maintaining momentum.

Tips for Transitioning:

Use summaries and reflections at the end of each stage to solidify progress and set expectations for the next phase.
Encourage patience in the Groan Zone; remind participants that this is a natural and necessary part of reaching a robust decision.
Gradually introduce convergent thinking exercises as the group seems ready, rather than forcing the transition prematurely.
Monitor the energy levels throughout the session, adjusting breaks as needed. Introduce unplanned breaks if participants seem fatigued, and consider delaying planned breaks if the energy is high and pausing might disrupt the momentum.

Conclusion

Group decision-making can be complex, but with the right facilitation techniques and exercises, it becomes a structured process that maximizes participation, understanding, and commitment. By recognizing the unique needs of each stage—divergent thinking, the Groan Zone, and convergent thinking—you can create an environment where teams work collaboratively to reach informed, inclusive decisions. Next time you’re guiding a group through a decision-making process, try incorporating these exercises to see how they transform the discussion.

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