TOOL
Facilitate Decision Meeting
Create an effective decision forum that enables all types of corporate leaders to collaborate, innovate, and make impactful decisions together.
Tool purpose
The purpose of a decision forum is to create a structured environment where leaders can have meaningful discussions, collaboratively explore options, and reach consensus on critical decisions.
Remember, though - many decisions can be taken without formal forums. Meeting overload creates fatigue, which creates low engagement, which creates stress.
When to use it
Use this decision forum facilitation recipe when:
Your organization needs to make strategic decisions that require input from diverse leadership perspectives.
Have a complex issue that impacts multiple departments, involves significant resources, or necessitates collaboration across various levels of the organization.
Area
Strategy, innovation, leadership, and transformation
Time
60 min
Participants
Keep it small. Only invite stakeholders with a decision mandate in the topic in need of a decision
Capabilities Needed
Strategic thinking
Stakeholder management
Facilitation
Tips for Success
It’s all in the prep: Like any good cake, how well it turns out is all in the preperation.
Be Neutral: As a facilitator, remain neutral and avoid taking sides during discussions.
Stay Flexible: Be prepared to adjust the agenda or process based on the flow of the conversation.
Encourage Creativity: Foster a culture of innovation by inviting out-of-the-box thinking and diverse viewpoints.
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Method
Preparation Before the Meeting
Identify Objectives: Clarify the purpose of the forum. What decisions need to be made? What outcomes do you want? Sometimes it helps to think of what you want the participants to do, say and feel after the meeting.
Select Participants: Choose a diverse group of leaders who bring different perspectives and expertise. But keep it small and only to those who can and have a mandate to make a decision. No “for-information” people.
Set the Agenda: Create a clear agenda that outlines the topics to be discussed, time allocations, and desired outcomes.
Communicate Expectations: Share the agenda and objectives with participants beforehand to set clear expectations. Do so in the channel the stakeholder you speak to prefers.
Prepare Materials: Gather necessary materials such as data, reports, and decision-making tools that may aid discussions.
Steps to Facilitate the Meeting
Welcome and Introductions: Start the forum by welcoming participants. Encourage brief introductions, especially if there are new members.
Set Ground Rules: Always establish ground rules for discussion, such as respect for diverse opinions, time limits for speaking, and confidentiality if necessary. Even if this is the 100 times these leaders meet.
Review Objectives: Remind participants of the forum’s goals and what decisions need to be made by the end of the session.
Present Data and Context: Provide relevant data, insights, and context for the decisions at hand. Ensure all participants have the same understanding of the issues.
Facilitate Open Discussion:
Encourage participants to share their perspectives.
Use open-ended questions to stimulate conversation.
Manage dominant voices and ensure quieter members are invited to share their thoughts.
Use Decision-Making Tools
Introduce frameworks such as decision matrices or impact/effort grids to evaluate options collectively. This helps leaders move from opinion decisions to data-informed decisions.
Document ideas and insights on a whiteboard or shared screen for visual clarity.
Summarize Key Points: Periodically summarize the main points discussed to maintain focus and ensure alignment among participants.
Seek Consensus: Aim for consensus on decisions. Use voting or ranking methods if necessary to gauge support for various options. Consensus might feel time consuming then and there, but it will make the decision stick.
Assign Action Items: Clearly define next steps, assign responsibilities, and establish timelines for any follow-up actions.
Check-out: Walk around the table and let each participant share what they take with them from the meeting.
Conclusion After the Forum
Document Decisions: Create a summary of the discussions, decisions made, and assigned action items. Share this with participants promptly.
Solicit Feedback: Gather feedback on the forum’s effectiveness. What worked well? What could be improved for future discussions?
Follow-Up: Regularly check in on action items and ensure accountability. Consider scheduling a follow-up meeting to review progress.
By following this recipe, you can create an effective decision forum that empowers corporate leaders to collaborate, innovate, and make impactful decisions together.