Manifestos/Principles

Principles Testing

Principles look great, but do they hold up? Principles Testing applies your draft principles to real decisions to see if they're useful. This exercise takes about an hour and works best right after you write your principles. Expect lively debate when principles clash. That's a good sign. You'll quickly see which principles need work.

Duration
1 hour
Group Size
8-12
Category
Manifestos/Principles
Difficulty
Easy
Energy
Medium

Objectives

Test principles against 6-8 real decisions. Find out which principles give clear guidance and which are vague. Uncover conflicts between principles. Decide which principles to revise first.

Outcomes

Principles tested against real scenarios. Validated principles' usefulness. Principles refined based on testing.

Step-by-Step Instructions


  1. Scenario Selection (10 min): Pick real decisions to test your principles.

  2. Principle Application (35 min): Apply each principle to the selected scenarios.

  3. Conflict Analysis (10 min): Spot any conflicts between principles.

  4. Revision Prioritization (5 min): Decide which principles need the most work.

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Facilitator Tips

Use real decisions, not made-up ones. Make conflicts clear. Write down which principles fail the tests.

Pre-Work

For Facilitators

  • Review participant profiles and expectations
  • Prepare all materials and supplies
  • Test technology and room setup

For Participants

  • Complete pre-session survey
  • Review background materials
  • Prepare examples or case studies

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Materials Required


  • List of principles

  • Real decision scenarios

  • Testing template

  • Markers

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Resources & Templates

  • Facilitator Guide (PDF)
  • Participant Workbook Template
  • Presentation Slides
  • Printable Materials

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