MPLP
Facilitating RICs in Year One·Module 3 of 4

Module 3: Facilitator stance and decision protocols

How to hold a room of 30 coaches, when to interrupt, how to use silence, and the four go-to decision protocols you should know cold.

Facilitator stance is not technique. It is the set of small decisions that signal to everyone in the room what this convening is for and how it will be conducted. Walking in early, greeting people by name, asking one specific question instead of a general one — these set the tone before the agenda starts.

Decision protocols are the structures you reach for when a discussion stalls, fragments, or veers. Four to know cold: (1) Affinity → Pattern — silent sticky-note grouping followed by named themes. (2) Consultancy — one person frames a dilemma, the room listens, then offers framings. (3) Look-Around — quick structured turns to surface what's been unsaid. (4) Decide–Defer–Discard — used to close out a list of ideas.

Protocol stub
Decision Protocols Quick Reference

Single-page reference card for the four MPLP decision protocols.

Knowledge check
1. A consultancy protocol's first turn belongs to whom?
2. An Affinity → Pattern protocol typically takes how long?
3. Which of these is NOT one of the four standard MPLP decision protocols?
Reflection
Describe a moment in a recent meeting when one of these four protocols would have helped you avoid a stall. What would you have used, and why?
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