Coowoolf Nominal Group Meeting Framework
Overview
A meeting structure designed to eliminate groupthink and coercion by separating the discovery of ideas from the discussion of them. It ensures independent thinking and focuses meeting time solely on areas of disagreement.
Core principle: The best way to get someone's opinion is independently of other people's opinions.
The Process
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. ASYNCHRONOUS DISCOVERY │
│ Send prompt/data to participants BEFORE the meeting │
│ No reply-all allowed │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2. INDEPENDENT OUTPUT │
│ Participants generate ideas/forecasts/ranks ALONE │
│ Submit directly to leader │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 3. AGGREGATION │
│ Leader collates responses │
│ Identifies areas of AGREEMENT (skip) and DISAGREEMENT │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 4. DISCUSSION ONLY MEETING │
│ Group convenes SOLELY to discuss variance in opinions │
│ Reflect back what people say (curiosity over coercion) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 5. DECISION │
│ Often asynchronous, after discussion │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Key Principles
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Get opinions independently | Brainstorm live in the room |
| Use meetings for discussion only | Use meetings for discovery |
| Focus on disagreements | Seek "alignment" as primary goal |
| Reflect back to ensure heard | Let people interrupt |
Common Mistakes
- Brainstorming live in the room (allows anchoring)
- Letting confident people dominate
- Seeking consensus as the goal (breeds coercion)
Source: Annie Duke (First Round Capital, Decision Science Expert) via Lenny's Podcast