Make the call
For a decision with two or three real options and someone who owns it. The room lays out the case for and against each one, shows its support with a hand, and the decider decides out loud.
60 minutes, in person. Serves 8 to 12.
How to run it
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Check-in
5 minSay what the room will leave with. Then ask: "One word for how you're arriving." Take the words in any order, not round the circle.
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T-Chart
15 minOptions charted: the two options the decider ranks highest
Before you start, say who the decider is: the person who owns this decision. Write the decision at the top of the wall as a question, then draw a T for the two options the decider ranks highest, with "For" on one side and "Against" on the other. Everyone writes points for both sides of every option in silence, one point per note. "The best case against an option is worth as much as the best case for it." Then everyone reads the wall and stacks duplicates. The option with the strongest For side and the thinnest Against side leads.
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Fist of Five
10 minOptions tested: the leading option
Test the leading option. Read the option out as a proposal: "We go with [option]." On three, everyone holds up a hand at once: five fingers to champion it, three to live with it, one to object, a fist to block. Count the hands out loud. Then hear only the people showing two fingers or fewer: what would they need to change to get to three? Write each answer on that option's T. Nobody else speaks yet.
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Decider Vote
20 minCases heard against: the strongest case against the leading option, in one minute
Give the decider the T-charts and the hand counts. Before deciding, the decider asks anyone in the room for the strongest case against the leading option, in one minute. Then the decider puts a large dot on their choice and says why in two or three sentences, naming what they weighed. Ask the room: "What do you need from the decider to commit to this, even if you'd have chosen differently?" Write the answers beside the decision; they're part of it.
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Commit: who does what by when
10 minEach result the room produced needs an owner. The owner writes "I will [what] by [when]" on a card, reads it out and sticks it under the result. Only owners speak. If a result has no owner, say so: "Nobody owns this yet." Write that on the wall too, so it leaves the room as an open item rather than a quiet gap.
Decider Vote comes from the Google Ventures design sprint.
90 minutes, in person. Serves 8 to 12.
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Check-in
10 minSay what the room will leave with and point to the three steps on the wall. Then ask: "In one sentence: what do you need from the next ninety minutes?" Take answers in any order, not round the circle. If someone passes, move on.
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T-Chart
20 minOptions charted: each option, up to three
Before you start, say who the decider is: the person who owns this decision. Write the decision at the top of the wall as a question, then draw a T for each option, up to three, with "For" on one side and "Against" on the other. Everyone writes points for both sides of every option in silence, one point per note. "The best case against an option is worth as much as the best case for it." Then everyone reads the wall and stacks duplicates. The option with the strongest For side and the thinnest Against side leads.
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Fist of Five
20 minOptions tested: the two leading options, one after the other
Test the two leading options, one after the other. Read the option out as a proposal: "We go with [option]." On three, everyone holds up a hand at once: five fingers to champion it, three to live with it, one to object, a fist to block. Count the hands out loud. Then hear only the people showing two fingers or fewer: what would they need to change to get to three? Write each answer on that option's T. Nobody else speaks yet.
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Decider Vote
25 minCases heard against: the two strongest cases against the leading option, a minute each
Give the decider the T-charts and the hand counts. Before deciding, the decider asks anyone in the room for the two strongest cases against the leading option, a minute each. Then the decider puts a large dot on their choice and says why in two or three sentences, naming what they weighed. Ask the room: "What do you need from the decider to commit to this, even if you'd have chosen differently?" Write the answers beside the decision; they're part of it.
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Commit: who does what by when
15 minEach result the room produced needs an owner. The owner writes "I will [what] by [when]" on a card, reads it out and sticks it under the result. Only owners speak. If a result has no owner, say so: "Nobody owns this yet." Write that on the wall too, so it leaves the room as an open item rather than a quiet gap.
In the 90 also: Ask each owner one question: "What could stop this?" One sentence back. If the answer is another person, that person is in the commitment too.
90 minutes, remote. Serves 8 to 12.
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Check-in
10 minSay what the room will leave with and show the three steps on the board. Then ask: "In one sentence: what do you need from the next ninety minutes? Type it in the chat, but don't press Enter until I say go." Say "Go" and read the chat out loud in one pass. It's faster than a round, and nobody answers in the shadow of the person before them.
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T-Chart
20 minOptions charted: each option, up to three
Before you start, say who the decider is: the person who owns this decision. Put the decision at the top of the Options frame as a question, then draw a T for each option, up to three, with "For" on one side and "Against" on the other. Everyone types points for both sides of every option, no chat, one point per sticky. "The best case against an option is worth as much as the best case for it." Then everyone reads the frame and drags duplicates together. The option with the strongest For side and the thinnest Against side leads.
Board: Frame 1, "Options": the decision at the top and a T for each option, For and Against.
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Fist of Five
20 minOptions tested: the two leading options, one after the other
Test the two leading options, one after the other. Read the option out as a proposal: "We go with [option]." "Type a number from 0 to 5 in the chat, but don't press Enter until I say go. Five is championing it, three is living with it, one is objecting, zero blocks." Say "Go", then read the numbers out loud. Hear only the people who typed two or less: what would they need to change to get to three? Type each answer onto that option's T. Nobody else speaks yet.
Board: Uses the Options frame.
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Decider Vote
25 minCases heard against: the two strongest cases against the leading option, a minute each
Give the decider the Options frame and the chat's numbers. Before deciding, the decider asks anyone on the call for the two strongest cases against the leading option, a minute each. Then the decider stamps their choice and says why in two or three sentences, naming what they weighed. Ask: "What do you need from the decider to commit to this, even if you'd have chosen differently?" Type the answers into the Decision frame; they're part of it.
Board: Uses the Options frame. Frame 2, "Decision": the choice, the decider's reasons, and what people need to commit.
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Commit: who does what by when
15 minEach result the room produced needs an owner. Owners type "I will [what] by [when]" into the Commitments frame, under the result they own. Read every commitment back out loud. If a result has no owner, say so: "Nobody owns this yet." Type that into the frame too, so it leaves the room as an open item rather than a quiet gap.
In the 90 also: Ask each owner one question: "What could stop this?" One sentence back. If the answer is another person, that person is in the commitment too.
Board: Frame "Commitments": one column per result, with space for "I will [what] by [when]".
60 minutes, in person. Serves 8 to 12.
-
Check-in
5 minSay what the room will leave with. Then ask: "One word for how you're arriving." Take the words in any order, not round the circle.
-
T-Chart
15 minOptions charted: the two options the decider ranks highest
Before you start, say who the decider is: the person who owns this decision. Write the decision at the top of the wall as a question, then draw a T for the two options the decider ranks highest, with "For" on one side and "Against" on the other. Everyone writes points for both sides of every option in silence, one point per note. "The best case against an option is worth as much as the best case for it." Then everyone reads the wall and stacks duplicates. The option with the strongest For side and the thinnest Against side leads.
-
Fist of Five
10 minOptions tested: the leading option
Test the leading option. Read the option out as a proposal: "We go with [option]." On three, everyone holds up a hand at once: five fingers to champion it, three to live with it, one to object, a fist to block. Count the hands out loud. Then hear only the people showing two fingers or fewer: what would they need to change to get to three? Write each answer on that option's T. Nobody else speaks yet.
-
Decider Vote
20 minCases heard against: the strongest case against the leading option, in one minute
Give the decider the T-charts and the hand counts. Before deciding, the decider asks anyone in the room for the strongest case against the leading option, in one minute. Then the decider puts a large dot on their choice and says why in two or three sentences, naming what they weighed. Ask the room: "What do you need from the decider to commit to this, even if you'd have chosen differently?" Write the answers beside the decision; they're part of it.
-
Commit: who does what by when
10 minEach result the room produced needs an owner. The owner writes "I will [what] by [when]" on a card, reads it out and sticks it under the result. Only owners speak. If a result has no owner, say so: "Nobody owns this yet." Write that on the wall too, so it leaves the room as an open item rather than a quiet gap.
60 minutes, remote. Serves 8 to 12.
-
Check-in
5 minSay what the room will leave with. Then ask: "One word for how you're arriving. Type it in the chat, but don't press Enter until I say go." Say "Go" and read the chat out loud in one pass. It's faster than a round, and nobody answers in the shadow of the person before them.
-
T-Chart
15 minOptions charted: the two options the decider ranks highest
Before you start, say who the decider is: the person who owns this decision. Put the decision at the top of the Options frame as a question, then draw a T for the two options the decider ranks highest, with "For" on one side and "Against" on the other. Everyone types points for both sides of every option, no chat, one point per sticky. "The best case against an option is worth as much as the best case for it." Then everyone reads the frame and drags duplicates together. The option with the strongest For side and the thinnest Against side leads.
Board: Frame 1, "Options": the decision at the top and a T for each option, For and Against.
-
Fist of Five
10 minOptions tested: the leading option
Test the leading option. Read the option out as a proposal: "We go with [option]." "Type a number from 0 to 5 in the chat, but don't press Enter until I say go. Five is championing it, three is living with it, one is objecting, zero blocks." Say "Go", then read the numbers out loud. Hear only the people who typed two or less: what would they need to change to get to three? Type each answer onto that option's T. Nobody else speaks yet.
Board: Uses the Options frame.
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Decider Vote
20 minCases heard against: the strongest case against the leading option, in one minute
Give the decider the Options frame and the chat's numbers. Before deciding, the decider asks anyone on the call for the strongest case against the leading option, in one minute. Then the decider stamps their choice and says why in two or three sentences, naming what they weighed. Ask: "What do you need from the decider to commit to this, even if you'd have chosen differently?" Type the answers into the Decision frame; they're part of it.
Board: Uses the Options frame. Frame 2, "Decision": the choice, the decider's reasons, and what people need to commit.
-
Commit: who does what by when
10 minEach result the room produced needs an owner. Owners type "I will [what] by [when]" into the Commitments frame, under the result they own. Read every commitment back out loud. If a result has no owner, say so: "Nobody owns this yet." Type that into the frame too, so it leaves the room as an open item rather than a quiet gap.
Board: Frame "Commitments": one column per result, with space for "I will [what] by [when]".
Comments & Discussion
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Recent Comments (3)
This workshop was incredibly effective for our remote team! We adapted it slightly for a virtual setting and it worked wonderfully. The key was breaking into smaller breakout rooms.
Great resource! One tip: prepare all materials the day before to avoid any last-minute rushes.
Used this for our quarterly planning session. The structured approach really helped us stay on track!