Session Brief: Decision Jam

Goal

Artifact: Problem Cluster

Working Question

Which problem is most important right now, and which concrete first step changes it in the next 14 days?

Context

Context: what is currently occupying the team; known tensions; time pressure or impetus; note that the format targets fast convergence.

Setup

• Format: Method session
• Duration: 60-90 min
• Mode: Workshop
• Participants: One facilitator; 4-10 participants; one decider (often from the team, for example PM or team lead); one scribe.
• Owner: One facilitator
• Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
• Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Problem Cluster. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro with areas for problem collection, voting, HMW reframe, solution ideas, and decision; stickies; timer; action list; shared pre-read.

Preparation

Create wall sections. Rule: each phase strictly timeboxed, no preemptive discussion. Clarify decision authority in advance.

Agenda

1. 0-10 min (10 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Silent work: write problems or frustrations silently on stickies, max 5 per person. Keep phrasing short. Hint: Silent work prevents dominance. If someone speaks immediately, they influence others. No discussion in this phase. Output: Problem Cluster

2. 10-20 min (10 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Round-robin share, cluster, voting (3 dots per person). Identify top problem. Hint: Voting is silent and simultaneous. The top problem becomes the focus of remaining time. Make a clear decision, not consensus seeking. Output: Prioritized Challenge

3. 20-30 min (10 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Reframe top problem as a "How Might We" question. Generate several HMW variants, then select one. Hint: HMW is the method core. "How could we reduce X so Y happens?". If reframing is too narrow, solution space shrinks. Output: Experiment

4. 30-50 min (20 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Silent solution idea generation for HMW: Crazy 8s or brainwriting, minimum 5 ideas per person. Then share round-robin. Hint: Quantity before quality. Stopping after 5 minutes means insufficient exploration. Write even absurd ideas; they often increase creativity. Output: Problem Cluster

5. 50-70 min (20 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Voting (3 dots per person). Select top solution. Discuss what the smallest experiment step is in 14 days. Hint: Run an experiment instead of a program. Not "we solve X," but "we test Y and learn." Output: Prioritized Challenge

6. 70-90 min (20 min) Owner: Owner Action: Draft experiment: what, who, when, and what indicates success or failure. Maximum 2-3 experiments. Hint: Owner must be present and approve. Success criterion must be measurable or observable within 14 days. Output: Experiment

7. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Problem Cluster

Closeout

• Update result artifact: Problem Cluster
• Define location, version, and review recipients.
• Define owner, next step, and review date.

Problem Cluster: Decision Jam

Working Question

Which problem is most important right now, and which concrete first step changes it in the next 14 days?

Context

Context: what is currently occupying the team; known tensions; time pressure or impetus; note that the format targets fast convergence.

Participants

• Owner: One facilitator
• Participants: One facilitator; 4-10 participants; one decider (often from the team, for example PM or team lead); one scribe.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro with areas for problem collection, voting, HMW reframe, solution ideas, and decision; stickies; timer; action list; shared pre-read.

Template

Decision Jam Working Template

Goal

Turn a stuck decision into a clear choice through framing, divergence, and convergence.

Context

What decision is stuck, and what outcome should the group reach?

Input

• Decision question:
• Constraints:
• Stakeholders:
• Evidence or observations:

Working area

• Problem framing:
• How might we questions:
• Solution ideas:
• Criteria:
• Voting or selection:

Output artifacts

• Shortlisted options:
• Decision note:
• Next action:

Open questions

• ...

Decision / next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Completion Check

• Problem Cluster is complete enough for review:
• Location:
• Version / status:
• Review by:
• Next step:

Next Step

• Review result
• Mark open questions
• Schedule review or decision