CF Collaborative Decision Making 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A group is deadlocked between two strong options. Which facilitation technique best helps them move past the impasse?
- Ask the sponsor to decide for the group
- Use multi-voting to surface relative preferences across the options (Correct answer)
- Remove the less popular option without discussion
- Schedule a new meeting and hope perspectives shift
Correct answer: Use multi-voting to surface relative preferences across the options
Multi-voting reveals the group's relative preferences without forcing a binary winner, often creating movement past a deadlock.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'fist-to-five' as a consent-checking tool?
- A conflict escalation protocol used when voting fails
- A gesture scale where participants show readiness to proceed from 0 to 5 fingers (Correct answer)
- A parliamentary procedure requiring a supermajority
- A technique for ranking agenda items by priority
Correct answer: A gesture scale where participants show readiness to proceed from 0 to 5 fingers
Fist-to-five lets every participant visibly signal their level of support or concern on a 0–5 scale, enabling rapid consent checks.
Question 3: When a decision requires high buy-in from all stakeholders, a facilitator should lean toward which decision rule?
- Majority vote
- Minority veto
- Consensus or near-consensus (Correct answer)
- Facilitator's discretion
Correct answer: Consensus or near-consensus
Consensus-based decisions generate the strongest ownership and commitment because everyone has meaningfully agreed to the outcome.
Question 4: A participant refuses to move forward unless every detail meets their personal standard. What is the facilitator's best response?
- Allow the group to override them with a majority vote immediately
- Acknowledge their concern, check if others share it, and clarify the decision criteria (Correct answer)
- Ask them to leave the session
- Defer the decision indefinitely
Correct answer: Acknowledge their concern, check if others share it, and clarify the decision criteria
Acknowledging the concern and testing whether it is shared prevents a single voice from derailing the group while respecting their input.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a 'decision matrix' used in collaborative settings?
- A grid that scores each option against weighted criteria agreed upon by the group (Correct answer)
- A diagram showing who reports to whom in the organization
- A timeline of when each decision must be made
- A list of decisions that have already been finalized
Correct answer: A grid that scores each option against weighted criteria agreed upon by the group
A decision matrix objectively compares options by scoring them against mutually agreed criteria, reducing bias in group choices.
Question 6: Before a group begins evaluating options, a skilled facilitator ensures they first agree on:
- The person who will implement the chosen solution
- The criteria and standards by which options will be judged (Correct answer)
- The exact wording of the final decision statement
- The time limit for the meeting
Correct answer: The criteria and standards by which options will be judged
Establishing evaluation criteria before assessing options prevents biased post-hoc justification and keeps the process fair.
Question 7: What is the primary risk when a facilitator allows one vocal person to dominate the decision-making discussion?
- The meeting runs too short
- Silent participants disengage and their perspectives are lost, skewing the outcome (Correct answer)
- The group reaches consensus faster than expected
- Documentation becomes difficult
Correct answer: Silent participants disengage and their perspectives are lost, skewing the outcome
Dominance by one voice suppresses diverse perspectives, leading to a decision that does not represent the full group's knowledge.
CF Collaborative Decision Making 2
A group is deadlocked between two strong options.
Which facilitation technique best helps them move past the impasse?