3-2-1: Workshop Weekly #12

Want to see some of this newsletter's examples in action?

Tomorrow, I'm giving away a practical approach to get a birds-eye view of your team dynamics.

It's a chance to interact, ask questions, and get real-time advice on enhancing team productivity through practical retrospective workshops.

If you want to join and receive a Miro Retrospective template, then RSVP (it's free):

​https://www.linkedin.com/events/7127588180140158976/comments/​

Now, back to this week's newsletter. It's about decision-making workshops, async decision-making, and easier decision-making.

Let's go!

– Arthur

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Three Workshop Examples

When executed right, decision-making workshops can make the whole feel like they have team wings and can move mountains.

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Three workshop exercises that help your team make better decisions:

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1: How to vote without bias

Groupthink is a silent saboteur in decision-making.

It happens when the desire for group harmony overrides going for the best solution for customers and users.

The danger of groupthink is that it creates a false sense of consensus.

Teams may rush to agree on a mediocre solution because it's harmonious and non-confrontational, resulting in innovation stagnation.

The real cost is often invisible—missed opportunities, overlooked risks, and unchallenged assumptions that could be pivotal for success.

So, if you have a decision to make:

1. Write out all possible options.
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2. In 3 minutes of silence, ask the team to write down their favorite option and a short pitch of 2 or 3 sentences.
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3. Repeat a couple of times that the group has to wait before casting their vote.
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4. When the 3-minute timer is done, countdown from 5 to 1, and everyone casts their vote at the same time.
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5. Focus on the options that have two or more votes.

(Or use something like Miro's voting tool to make anonymous voting easier)

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2: Use constraints to foster creativity in decision-making

Without boundaries, the brainstorming process can become overwhelming and unproductive.

Teams often hit a creative block when faced with open-ended decisions (leading to conventional and uninspired outcomes).

Luckily, some smart constraints can push the boundaries of conventional thinking:

1. Define the Problem. Start with the decision that needs to be made. Ensure everyone understands it without getting lost in unnecessary details.
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2. Set Constraints. Introduce specific limitations related to resources, time, or scope. These should challenge the team but also be realistic.
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3. Ideate Within Limits. Brainstorm solutions that work within the constraints. Encourage unconventional thinking - the stricter the constraints, the more creative the ideas may need to be.
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4. Refine and Decide. Review the ideas generated, consider how they fit within the constraints, and decide which to pursue. Use criteria like feasibility, impact, and innovation for the final decision.

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3: Create a decision map to visualize options and outcomes

Without a clear strategy, navigating complex options can be confusing.

Because of that, you make suboptimal choices that don't align with your long-term goals.

Without a clear visual, it’s easy to overlook key factors, underestimate risks, and miss out on better alternatives.

A decision map is a visual tool used to chart out all possible options and their potential outcomes in a structured format.

This mapping type can take many forms, including flowcharts, tree diagrams, or more sophisticated interactive models. Typically, a decision map includes:

• Decision points: Nodes that represent moments where a choice must be made.
• Paths or branches: Lines that connect decisions to their possible outcomes or to subsequent decisions.
• Outcomes: Endpoints that show the potential results of decisions.

​ Want to learn how to prepare and run decision-making workshops? Check out my course

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Two Async Tips

You have two types of decisions:
❗️ Type 1: Irreversible decisions that require careful consideration.
⬅️ Type 2: Decisions that can be reversed, allowing for more risk-taking and experimentation.

The benefits of the distinction are that you can have more effective decision-making, faster action, and increased ownership and delegation.

Here are two ways to handle each decision type:

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1: List pros & cons async to make better type 1 decisions ❗️

Irreversible decisions can significantly impact the organization’s direction and success. They require careful consideration and evaluation of the pros and cons.

Some examples of Type 1 decisions include:

• Shifting the company’s core product focus.
• Restructuring teams to align with company goals.
• Updating remote work policies to cater to diverse team needs.

It is essential to weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of these decisions before making a final choice.

An Async Pros & Cons Board is a digital space where team members can do so asynchronously.

This allows for a more inclusive and reflective process, as team members can contribute at their own pace, leading to well-rounded decision-making.

1. Structure a shared document. Create two columns in a shared Google Doc, one for Pros and one for Cons.
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2. Invite team members to contribute. Encourage them to consider all angles and to be as detailed as possible.
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3. Set a clear deadline. Inform everyone of the final date and time by which they should contribute their ideas to the board. This ensures you gather all input promptly.
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4. Summarize the Contributions. Once all inputs are in:
   • Review the board.
   • Summarize the points.
   • Share the insights with the team, for example, with a quick Loom video.

This helps everyone to see the bigger picture and make an informed decision.

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2: Rank Type 2 options asynchronously using a scorecard ⬅️

Deciding between many options can paralyze your team.

(Especially when everyone has a different view on what’s most important).

Not making a decision..

• ..stalls progress.
• ..causes meetings to become repetitive.
• ..can lead to frustration among team members.

Cut through the decision deadlock with an Async Scorecard.

This method enables your team to weigh in asynchronously on the importance and impact of each option using a clear and quantifiable system.

1. Define Criteria. Ask your team what criteria are critical for the decision. This ensures everyone evaluates the same key aspects.
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2. Create Scorecard. Use Google Docs or Notion and make a table. On the left column, you place the options, and on the top row, your team’s criteria.
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3. Invite team members to contribute. Encourage everyone to research at least one option and document the results in the scorecard. Consider all angles and be as detailed as possible.
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4. Analyze the Contributions. Once all inputs are in:
   • Review the scorecard.
   • If possible, make a decision and share it with the team, for example, with a quick Loom video.
   • If you can’t decide, plan a meeting to discuss the next steps.

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Ps. Async collaboration like this is just one of the topics we cover in Next-Level Team Productivity with Agile Retrospectives. It's a 2-week program to learn how to prepare, design, and run effective retrospectives. Apply here: https://maven.com/workshop-wednesday/retrospectives-course​

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One Question For Your Team

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed today's issue, please reply (it helps with deliverability). If you didn't, you can unsubscribe via the link👇.

See you next Wednesday — Arthur​

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Ps. Don't forget to sign up for the free event tomorrow and practice some of the approaches of this newsletter:

​https://www.linkedin.com/events/7127588180140158976/comments/​