1

DECISIONS
TheAdaptiveSchool
PD/PLCStrategiesandProfessionalDevelopment

Decisions
Strategy

Process

Tips

ClosetheDiscussion

Displaydecisionoptions
Exploreadvantages/disadvantagesforeachoption
Groupselectsoptiontouse

Goalisefficiency,consistency,
clarity,andflexibility

CombineOpposites

Twomembersareselected
Byendofdaymustbringnewrecommendationtogroup
Grouptriestocombinenewideas

Usedwhengroupisstuck

DecisionOptions

ExecutiveFunctionReview
Fallbackpositionagreedonifgroupcannotdecide
Subgroupresearchandauthorityreview

Combinewithadditional
strategywithinit

EliminatetheNegative

Createlistofoptions
Ask:Anyitemsyouwouldbeokaywithremoving
Amembersuggests,askifallagreefordiscussion...ifnot,
remove
Ifanobjection,nodiscussion,dontremove

Savestimebyeliminating
itemsthegroupagreesto
removeinefficientmanner

Increasecollaborativeculture
throughjointconstructionof
goal

Drawanddisplaydesiredstatemap
Explainprocessanddefinegoals
Groupdescribesdesiredstate
Developbehavioralstate(Whatwouldoneseeandhearinthis
state?)
Identifyresourcesneededtoachieve
Developplanforfulfillment

Explaintopic,task,andprocess
Checkforunderstanding
Brainstormideasandrecordonchart

Keepeachstepseparateand
onlyadvocateonpositiveof
purpose

ExistingStateDesired
State

FocusingFour

Garmston,R.J.,&Wellman,B.M.(1999).
Theadaptiveschool:Asourcebookfordevelopingcollaborativegroups.
Norwood,MA:ChristopherGordonPublishers.

2
DECISIONS
TheAdaptiveSchool
PD/PLCStrategiesandProfessionalDevelopment

Seeking1218ideas
Askquestionsandseekclarity
Membersadvocateterms
ApplystrategyRuleofOneThird
Useprocesstonarrowchoices

ForcedChoiceStickerI

Listoptionsonflipchart
Distributestickerstogroup
Instructmemberstospendallstickers
Definevalueofstickers(preference,cost)
Stickersrepresentvoteandarebinding

Clarifyalloptionsandvalues
priortohandingoutstickers

ForcedChoiceStickerII

Chartandpostalloptionstoselectfrom
Invitememberstostandbychartofchoice
Membersdiscusswhytheychosethatoption
Providesadvocacystatement
Groupfieldsquestionsandseeksclarity
Groupreceivesstickersandspendsthem

Discouragespendingall
stickersononeoptionand
priordialogueisvalued

FreeingStuckGroups

Facilitator:Whatsstoppingusfrommakingadecision?or
Whowouldbewillingtomeetwith___and___todevelopa
proposalforournextmeeting?

ReferenceandincludeNaive
QuestionsandClosethe
Discussionintothisstrategy

Is/IsNot

Inonecolumn:factsknownabouttheproblem,whereitis,what Includedatagatheringand
itseffectsare,whenitoccurs,andsoon
useasexampleifneeded,
Insecondcolumn:factsknownnottobepartoftheproblem
providecategorieswithineach
column

NotAorBbutC

Askformemberstoprovideathirdoption[C]thatmightcontain
andcombinebothAandB

Usedwhengroupispolarized
ontwooptionsListdesirables
aboutAandthendesirables
aboutBorsubgroupsdothis
firstStayawayfromnegatives

Garmston,R.J.,&Wellman,B.M.(1999).
Theadaptiveschool:Asourcebookfordevelopingcollaborativegroups.
Norwood,MA:ChristopherGordonPublishers.

3
DECISIONS
TheAdaptiveSchool
PD/PLCStrategiesandProfessionalDevelopment
126

PairedWeighting

Ranking

Individualscompletewritingonnaminganareatoworkonthis
year
Pairmeet,share,andagreeonastatement
Eachpairmeetswithtwopairstogetherandagreeonone
statement
Writeandpostonlargedisplayedpaper
Membersaskforclarificationandoriginatorsadvocate
RankideasthroughRuleofOneThird
Subcommitteetakesonroletoresearchandcollectevidence

Bestwithlargegroupspriorto
issuesbeingknown

Individualscompareeachitemwitheveryotheritemaccording
toimportance:Whichismoreimportant,AorB?AorC?Aor
D?Andsoon
Participantsgothroughitems,comparingeachpairandcircling
theirpreferences
CountupallAs,Bs,andsoon
Countacrossonthegivenrecordingsheet

Facilitatormustprepareoption
recordingsheetcanbe
complicatedandneedstime
providesmoreobjectiveand
systematicdecisionmaking

Distribute10optionslipstoeachmember
EachmemberlabelsoptionsA,B,C,andsoon
Eachmemberranksoptionsaccordingtopreference(10=high
and1=low)
Gatherslipsandseparateaccordingtoletter
Addupthenumericalvaluesforeachletter
Postresultsonflipchart

Usefulwayfordecision
makingwhengrouphas
limitedtrustearlyoncanbe
moreprecisethanRuleof
OneThird

Canbecumbersometodoin
afullgroupbutprovidesclarity
onmovementandinformation
flow

ResponsibilityCharting

Listallmajorresponsibilitiesontheleftsideofthechart
Listnamesofteammembersandotherpeoplerelated
Reviewresponsibilities(codeitR),whocanauthorize(Codeit
A),supportmembers(CodeitS),membersneedingtobe
informed(CodeitI)

RuleofOneThird

Listallitemsonlargedisplayedpaper
Usecolorstoassistin
Instructmemberstochoose+1itemsthatareunranked(if12, decodingofinformationandis

Garmston,R.J.,&Wellman,B.M.(1999).
Theadaptiveschool:Asourcebookfordevelopingcollaborativegroups.
Norwood,MA:ChristopherGordonPublishers.

4
DECISIONS
TheAdaptiveSchool
PD/PLCStrategiesandProfessionalDevelopment
aquickwaytoagreeandrank
items

thenchoose5)
Membersraisehandsforfacilitatortorecordnumberforeach
item
Groupadoptsanduseitemlist

SixPositionStrawPoll

Membersgivenstrawpollandrecordanswers
Collectandtallyresponses
Page272

Moreefficientwithtechnology
usage

SlipMethod

Efficientmethodwhengroup
isininfancystageoftrust

Distributelargenumberof3x5indexcardstoeachmember
StateprobleminHowtolanguage(Howtoincreasestudent
attendance
Memberswriteoneideapercard
Collectandcategorizecards
Present,study,anddiscuss

SufficientConsensus

Determineafigure,suchas80%,thatrepresentsconsensus
Membersclarifyandadvocateforitems
Membersinquireaboutreasoningofdifferentchoice
Minorityvoicesmustbeheardandexplored
Callforvoting(hands)
Announceresults

Nomembershastherightto
blockagroupseekto
determineifchoiceisprinciple
orpreference

ThumbsUp

Thefacilitatororanymembercancallforathumbsupto
determinedegreeofagreement
Thumbsup=1,Thumbsdown=no,Thumbssideways=doesnt
matterordontknow
Callforshowofhandsandannounceresults

Anythumbssidewaysmust
explaintheirpointandcanbe
usedtoreachSufficient
Consensus

100%Consensus

Ingroupsofsixorfewerassignonefacilitator
Definefacilitatorsroleascallingonpeopleandkeepingprocessintactchartexactlywhatpeople
say
Facilitatorposesquestion
RoundRobinmemberscontribute1sentence

Garmston,R.J.,&Wellman,B.M.(1999).
Theadaptiveschool:Asourcebookfordevelopingcollaborativegroups.
Norwood,MA:ChristopherGordonPublishers.

5
DECISIONS
TheAdaptiveSchool
PD/PLCStrategiesandProfessionalDevelopment

Isthereanyonewhocannotlivethefirstsentence?andsoon
Memberscanrewordsentences
Repeatprocessforallsentences

Garmston,R.J.,&Wellman,B.M.(1999).
Theadaptiveschool:Asourcebookfordevelopingcollaborativegroups.
Norwood,MA:ChristopherGordonPublishers.