𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵?
This was the focus of a recent ToP Practice Group in Aotearoa New Zealand, hosted by Gabrielle Parson. With a big crowd, it was clear this is a live issue for many facilitators.
Four keys emerged:
🔑 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗨𝗽𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁: Be clear who owns the session outcomes and what resources are in play. For example, will the decisions made be directly implemented? Or are the outcomes to be recommendations someone else must decide upon? Clarity upfront means actions and next steps can be tailored directly to what comes next.
🔑 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹: Leave time to check consensus and confirm next steps. Techniques facilitators had used to good measure included checking back and confirming what the group has developed; sociometry line-ups to gauge commitment; and hearing each person state their action and timeline aloud.
🔑 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹: Actions that are too high-level stall momentum.
Ideas shared that had worked included:
🔹 Breaking big tasks into smaller, doable steps.
🔹 Ensuring actions are achievable and time-bound (e.g. “set up an Insta page” vs. “develop a marketing strategy”).
🔹 Revisiting responsibilities — who will do what, who will support them, and who will do the checking and tracking.
🔑 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: ToP methods shine here. ToP methods don’t just help groups talk — they help them decide in ways that stick through the method design itself. They combine:
꩜ 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢 (clear process that frees creativity),
꩜ 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (all voices are heard),
꩜ 𝙑𝙞𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 (making ideas tangible and collective), and
꩜ 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙤𝙢 (tapping into the group’s own answers).
We felt that this emphasis of ToP in going beyond the surface to the heart of the matter was core to achieving decisions that stick. The 𝘍𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥 (𝘖𝘙𝘐𝘋) is especially powerful for grounding actions in both rational insight and emotional commitment.
💡 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆? 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 — 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁.
Thanks again Gabrielle Parson for hosting a thought-provoking session!
What’s your go-to move for turning group energy into real follow-through?