Basic Facilitation Skills: #2 How To Facilitate Consensual Prioritization with a Decision Matrix
Channel: MG Rush Facilitation Training and Coaching
Date: 2016-11-02

How To Facilitate Consensual Prioritization with a Decision Matrix

PURPOSE

This tool supports decision-making at all levels.  It can be viewed as the ‘logic’ behind all decisions, providing the rational for both the support and reasons to de-select or de-emphasize one of the options.

METHOD

Once “Purpose” to the object (ie, topic) has been agreed upon, we can use the “Creativity” tool or narrative “Brainstorming” to develop lists of both the options being considered and the criteria to be used to evaluate the options.  By applying “Powerballs” and carefully wording our questions, we can now assess the impact of each criterion on each of the options with a simple matrix.  For example, if we want to know which sports to target in a marketing campaign, we might develop two lists and populate the matrix as shown below:

• At the intersection of each criterion and option, stipulate precisely the following at the start of your facilitated effort: “TO WHAT EXTENT DOES ‘X’ IMPACT (OR RELATE) TO ‘Y’?”

• From the example above we might determine that from the perspective of a sports drink company, that ‘Basketball’ is a more desirable option than ‘Curling.’

• CAUTION: AVOID THE CLOSE-ENDED QUESTION “Does ‘X’ involve ‘Y’?”  There is always a subject matter expert who can draw the correlation.  Conceding ‘Relativity’ we are not after “Does it?”.  Rather, we are focused on the degree, intensity, level, or to what extent does it.

BENEFITS

Always provide your executive sponsor or steering team with a decision matrix to back-up your decision.  This simple but highly effective visual tool preempts their common question, “Why did you select ‘X’?”  The matrix provides your rationale and trail of logic.  If they want to change the decision, it forces them to adjust the logic and enables your team and project to be consistent with future decisions.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Facilitate a Decision Matrix to Document Supporting Rationale: https://mgrush.com/blog/decision-matrix/

A Blueprint for Consensus Building Around Strategic Decision-Making: https://mgrush.com/blog/consensus-building/

Triple Constraint Theory: How to Facilitate a Flexibility Matrix: https://mgrush.com/blog/flexibility-matrix/

How Experience and Qualifications Amplify the Fallacy of Planning : https://mgrush.com/blog/fallacy-of-planning/

How to Facilitate Alignment and Confirm Balance: https://mgrush.com/blog/how-to-facilitate-alignment/

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 * For over 300 articles on facilitation skills, tools and tips go to: https://mgrush.com/blog/

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Music: "Air Hockey Saloon" by Chris Zabriskie
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chris_Zabriskie/Vendaface/05_-_Air_Hockey_Saloon