CF Large Group Intervention Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which large group method uses a 'minimum specification' principle, setting only essential constraints and leaving the rest to participant self-organization?
- Open Space Technology (Correct answer)
- Future Search
- Appreciative Inquiry Summit
- Real Time Strategic Change
Correct answer: Open Space Technology
Open Space Technology operates on minimum specification: a theme, four principles, and one law, leaving all scheduling and content to participants.
Question 2: In a Future Search conference, what is the primary purpose of the 'common ground' phase?
- To identify shared values and agreements that can serve as a foundation for action (Correct answer)
- To resolve conflicts between stakeholder groups
- To assign roles and responsibilities to participants
- To evaluate the organization's past performance
Correct answer: To identify shared values and agreements that can serve as a foundation for action
The common ground phase surfaces shared values and agreements across diverse stakeholders to build a foundation for collaborative action planning.
Question 3: A facilitator using Whole Scale Change notices subgroups are producing redundant outputs. What design principle was likely violated?
- Each small group should work on the same question simultaneously to enable cross-comparison
- Max-mix table groupings should have been used to ensure diverse perspectives (Correct answer)
- The plenary debrief should precede small group work
- Participants should self-select their working groups
Correct answer: Max-mix table groupings should have been used to ensure diverse perspectives
Whole Scale Change relies on max-mix tables — diverse cross-functional groups — so each table's output reflects the 'whole system' and redundancy is minimized.
Question 4: Which statement best describes the role of 'story' in an Appreciative Inquiry Summit?
- Stories are used only during the Discovery phase to uncover peak experiences (Correct answer)
- Stories serve as evidence for performance audits
- Stories are discouraged in favor of quantitative data
- Stories are collected and then discarded after the Define phase
Correct answer: Stories are used only during the Discovery phase to uncover peak experiences
In AI Summits, the Discovery phase uses personal stories of peak experiences as the primary data source to identify the organization's positive core.
Question 5: When designing a large group event for 300 participants across 30 tables, what is the most critical logistical factor that directly impacts method effectiveness?
- Sound system quality that allows every voice to be heard in plenary (Correct answer)
- The choice of keynote speaker for opening
- Providing individual workbooks for each participant
- Scheduling ample coffee breaks between sessions
Correct answer: Sound system quality that allows every voice to be heard in plenary
An effective sound system is critical because plenary sharing across large groups fails if participants cannot hear one another, undermining the 'whole system in the room' dynamic.
Question 6: In the ICA Strategic Planning Process (ToP), 'contradictions' identified in the SWOT-like analysis are best described as:
- Tensions between internal strengths and the external environment that signal strategic focus areas (Correct answer)
- Conflicts between team members that must be resolved before planning continues
- Contradictions in the organization's mission statement
- Gaps between current budget and desired spending
Correct answer: Tensions between internal strengths and the external environment that signal strategic focus areas
In ToP methodology, contradictions are the productive tensions between an organization's strengths and the challenges it faces, pointing to where strategic effort is most needed.
Question 7: A facilitator is choosing between Open Space Technology and a Structured Dialogue process for a 200-person conflict resolution event. What is the strongest argument for choosing Structured Dialogue?
- Structured Dialogue provides more scaffolding for listening and speaking in polarized groups (Correct answer)
- Structured Dialogue accommodates more simultaneous small groups
- Open Space cannot handle more than 100 participants
- Structured Dialogue requires less advance preparation from the facilitator
Correct answer: Structured Dialogue provides more scaffolding for listening and speaking in polarized groups
Structured Dialogue offers explicit protocols for deep listening and equitable speaking, making it better suited for high-conflict situations than Open Space's self-organizing format.
CF Large Group Intervention Methods 2
Which large group method uses a 'minimum specification' principle, setting only essential constraints and leaving the rest to participant self-organization?