Pare It Down

What Is It Good For?

An effective scoping method, paring down helps find fatal flaws, pare down options, identify significant issues and concerns, and formulate alternatives. This method allows everyone to participate and to "own" the decision. This technique is especially good for small groups and intense interactions.

How Do I Use It?

Select and invite representatives from groups that have shown an interest in your program.

Formulate and state the problem. If there are more than 6 or 8 people, break into smaller groups and then tally group results. Generate ideas (either separately or in small groups).

Record and number these ideas on a board. Discuss each idea. Then have each member rank the ideas. Use polling techniques in larger groups. Tally the votes. Announce any obvious winners and continue the discussion (or hold another meeting) to clarify close votes. Often, Pareto Charts can effectively portray these results.

Go On