What Chess can Teach About Group Dynamics: Time, Space, and Force
I’m not great at chess. I’ve never been good at strategy or thinking ten moves ahead. But I do pretty well against average players because of good tactics; specifically, applying Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan’s core principles of time, space, force.
Turns out, the same tactics apply to redirecting the dynamics in a facilitation. Use this language when you need to bring the group back on track.
Time
We often feel like we’re working against the clock. Instead, use time pressure as your ally to direct the energy of the group.
“I want to point out that we only have an hour left in our time together, and we still have these three agenda items to get through.”
“This topic sounds important, but it isn’t explicitly on the agenda we agreed to.”
“I’m going to suggest we timebox this topic. Let’s give it another five minutes, then move on.”
“We’ve been on this particular topic for thirty minutes. To keep us on time, I’m going to move us along.”
Space
When the group gets bogged down in discussions that aren’t adding value, making progress, or agreeing on decisions, use the meeting space itself to redirect the energy.
“We’ve been talking about this as a large group for a while. Let’s switch things up a bit. Take the next five minutes or so to talk only at your tables. Recap what you heard, and come up with your top three recommendations for where we go from here.”
“I’m not hearing a lot of energy to close on this topic, and I’m concerned that we’re losing some folks. Turn to the person next to you and have a brief discussion about what you heard. Between the two of you, what do you believe the decision at hand is?”
“We’ve been talking about these two options for a while. I want to see where you stand on this issue. Think of this as a non-binding straw poll. If you want option A, please get up and stand on this side of the room. Option B, stand on that side. If you’re in the middle, please stand between them. Let’s see where the energy is.
Force
Groups tend to get stuck in conversation, and can resist coming to closure. Decisions, by their nature, mean someone is going to have to be responsible for that decision, and it’s rare that any decision is 100% unambiguous. So there’s risk involved, and the vast majority of organizations don’t promote risk takers. Here’s some language to minimize risk and spark action.
“I’m hearing a lot of discussion around Option A. Is there anyone who thinks we should NOT move in this direction?”
“I’m hearing a lot of challenges to Option B, but is there anyone in favor of it?”
“We’ve heard a lot about the pros and cons. We COULD come up with a weighted list of criteria and go through the rigor of applying it, but I’m wondering if we could save a little time by seeing where you all stand on the issue. Let’s do a five-finger poll (where participants hold up anywhere from one to five fingers depending on their level of support.)”
“It’s really common for groups to spend a lot of air time forcefully agreeing with each other. I’m wondering if we’ve given enough air time to whether or not we want to pursue this particular idea to agree and then take the specifics offline. Show of hands: who, in general, thinks this is a good idea, and would be OK turning it over to a small group of interested individuals?”
“We seem to be getting stuck on the ‘how.’ I’m hearing folks say they can’t support this decision without knowing exactly how it will be implemented. Let me offer that, if we DO decide to go this way, how it’s implemented will be decided by the professionals responsible with their best knowledge and intentions. That means they’ll take into account downstream effects, they’re not going to be frivolous with resources, and they’ll keep the best interests of the organization and its people at heart. What we want to agree on now is, is this effort something we want to see move forward, assuming the how will be done in the best way possible by the people responsible for it?”
If you’re interested in other ways you can move your team from discussion to decision, let’s talk. https://calendly.com/brian-lizardbrain/45-min-discovery-call
