► Introduction

DISCUSSION
Preparation
GUIDE

Notes for the discussion leader Facilitation

1 Tips
Invite Template

The
The
​Thank you for downloading this Harvard ManageMentor Discussion Guide discussion
discussion
deck
deck starts
starts
on Decision Making: Learn from and Refine Your Decisions. on
on slide
slide 5.
5.
The
The first
first four
four
​Leading a discussion on this topic is an opportunity to reinforce your own slides
slides are
are for
for
your
your
learning as well as to enable others to share ideas about learning from reference.
reference.
past decisions. Users typically set up these discussions as “Lunch and Learn”
sessions or even carve out time during a team meeting.
​The slides and notes in this guide will help you set up and facilitate a 45-minute
virtual or offline discussion leveraging key concepts introduced in the Harvard
ManageMentor Decision Making topic.

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 Introduction
DISCUSSION
► Preparation
GUIDE

Notes for the discussion leader Facilitation

2
B Tips
Invite Template

​Preparing for the discussion: your own professional experience or even

personal life that can illustrate the insights
• Schedule the discussion. You don’t shared and act as prompts to encourage
need to limit your attendee list to those conversation.
who have completed the Harvard
ManageMentor course. Consider • Review the facilitation best practices
adapting the sample text provided at the on the next slide to help you make the
bottom of this section to introduce the most of your time with participants.
discussion topic and invite people to
participate in the conversation.
• Review the lesson, “Manage Group
Decision Making.” As you re-read the
lesson, think of relevant examples from

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Notes for the discussion leader
​Facilitation best practices:
• Manage yourself. Your energy (or lack of it) can
be infectious. Share this energy through your voice,
tone, body language, and facial expressions—
whether you’re meeting in person or virtually. If
you’re conducting the discussion virtually, keep your
camera on and use a slightly louder-than-usual
voice. For more tips on how to elevate your
presence in a virtual meeting, review this:
https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-elevate-your-presenc
e-in-a-virtual-meeting
. scheduled time.
• Manage the group. Include all participants in the
discussion and ensure everyone has a chance to
be heard. Stay neutral and avoid sharing your
perspective until others have had a chance to speak.
Your role is to provide a framework and create
© 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing
Introduction
DISCUSSION
Preparation
GUIDE
► Facilitation
3
C Tips
Invite Template
conditions that enable a discussion. You can do this
by asking questions, encouraging people to share
examples, paraphrasing, and summarizing.
• Manage the discussion. As the discussion leader,
you know the session’s objectives and structure. Try
to guide the discussion accordingly and prevent it
from veering too far off track.
• Manage time. Follow the suggested time per slide
and pace the discussion so you can end within the
• Take notes. Make quick notes of key points that
emerge from the discussion and summarize key
takeaways. If you are conducting the conversation
virtually, consider recording the session, making sure
to inform all participants that you are doing so.
 Introduction
DISCUSSION
Preparation
GUIDE

Notes for the discussion leader Facilitation

4
D Tips
► Invite Template

​Sample email text to invite team members to the discussion

(please edit the text as needed to fit your situation):

​Subject: Learn from and Refine Your Decisions

In a complex and ever-changing world, you and your team can’t know for certain how a decision will turn out until you
implement it. Some of the most effective decisions result from reflecting and iterating on earlier ones. Learning from
experience and quickly changing course requires frank discussion and exploration of ideas. Let’s talk about how to
create the kind of environment that allows your team to pivot and learn from decisions that don’t produce the desired
results. The session is on [insert date, time, and location/virtual meeting link] and will take 45 minutes. Before the
discussion, please review the lesson called “Manage Group Decision Making” in the Harvard ManageMentor Decision
Making course or read this article: Drive Innovation with Better Decision-Making (hbr.org) or spend some time reflecting
on what helps team members be able to iterate and improve upon decisions.

​I look forward to a lively and productive discussion!

​Thanks.

© 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing

​Decision Making

Learn from and Refine Your

Decisions

DISCUSSION GUIDE

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 DISCUSSION
GUIDE

For discussion 6

What have you learned from past decisions that

fell short of their goals?

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 DISCUSSION
GUIDE

Decisions as “working hypotheses” 7

“In a world where speed matters, mature organizations act

even when the appropriate move is ambiguous. They don’t
wait for perfect information before making decisions; they
see their decisions as ‘working hypotheses’ based on the
best information available.”
—Linda Hill, Harvard Business School professor

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 DISCUSSION
GUIDE

Learn from decisions 8

• Review and examine impacts

• Assess what didn't work
• Adjust and move ahead

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 DISCUSSION
GUIDE

Support productive conversation 9

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 DISCUSSION
GUIDE

Next steps 10

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