I have been training managers in skills to facilitate effective meetings for a number of years. I’m always surprised at how often a simple consensus model can be a game changer.

First shared with me by a fellow facilitator, Sonia Tallarida, this simple tool helps people move on when they might be bogged down in semantics.

Ask the group where they are on the L scale.

Do they LOVE IT

Do they LIKE IT

Can they LIVE WITH IT

Do they LOATHE IT

Often we get bogged down in decision making, or moving forward because we are aiming for everyone in the room (including ourselves) to LOVE or LIKE something.

The truth is, if we can all LIVE WITH IT then we are able to move on. The only time we would be continuing the conversation is if someone around the table LOATHES IT. The discussion would then be “What would have to happen for you to be able to live with this?”.

Whilst I’m all for aiming for everyone to LOVE every idea….I'm just not convinced it’s workable.