F1: SOCRATIC DIALOGUE**

...in any discussion about the PROBLEM STRUCTURE, and in particular, when facilitating with a DECISION HIERARCHY, a facilitation method is needed to get to a more accurate frame.

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In order not to bias the decision makers, a facilitator should help them reach clarity themselves rather than telling them what is right.

A Socratic way of inquiry begins with understanding and making explicit what the decision maker knows and then tests it to create more ideas and uncover hidden assumptions. Schmidt (1940) states the three stages in Socratic questioning as (1) a realization of ignorance in a particular matter, (2) to search for knowledge of this matter, and (3) to form concepts about it.

In other words, we first would like to understand the decision maker, then help her create more ideas and uncover hidden assumptions, and finally lead to a more transparent and more accurate state.

Socratic questions that are relevant to framing include questions that seek clarification, probe assumptions, ask for reasons and evidence, and challenge perspectives.

Therefore:

• Ask Socratic questions while trying to minimize the bias in the process and with a goal to help the decision maker discover the truth by herself.
• Ask for clarification
  • i.e., why is this information relevant? (The information might be irrelevant or might uncover an assumption that was not explicit)
• Challenge assumptions
  • i.e., what might happen that invalidates this assumption?
• Ask for reasoning and request examples
  • i.e., what is it similar to?
  • i.e., can you provide an example of that?
• Challenge perspectives
  • i.e., what is another way to look at it? (i.e., how would engineering vs. marketing look at the same problem?)
  • i.e., what is an alternative?

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References:

Schmidt, W. J. (1940). Plato’s Use of the Socratic Method.