Team kit · facilitator script · draft
Lead a 30-minute
Two Questions session
A read-aloud script for a manager leading 2–12 adults. Practice one fictional request, swap roles and leave with one question to try.
This is a separate 30-minute format. Use its agenda throughout; the 20-minute team-kit guide and longer workshop have different timings.
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Before people arrive
- Bring a timer, pens and one copy of the fictional facts per pair. Print this script or keep it open; the facts are included and no slides are needed.
- Keep the facts visible. For remote pairs, share this page in advance and read the prompts aloud.
- Offer speaking, writing, observing or passing. Use fictional details throughout. Keep personal notes with their authors; do not collect them for appraisal.
Two questions to keep visible
- What is this really for?
- Who decides, and did they?
Adapt the wording to the scene. A question or a proposal does not grant approval.
Open and model · minutes 0–7
0–3 min: Welcome and permission to pass
Say
We will practice on a fictional request. You may speak, write, observe or pass. We are checking a plan, not rating anyone here.
Do: Invite pairs to choose a requester and a delivery lead. With an odd number, invite one observer; a group of three can rotate roles in the replay.
Read aloud: the Friday demo
All people and events in this practice are fictional. You are preparing a demo for Friday noon. The current estimates are: core work 3 hours, required handoff 1 hour, optional polish 3 hours. You have 5 hours available. No extra time or date change has been approved.
The owner of the Friday commitment must clarify what the demo needs to show and what counts as an acceptable core and handoff. Their identity and approval are still unknown.
Source: Fixed Deadline: Friday demo trade-off, a fictional practice case. All required facts are printed here.
3–7 min: Model the two questions
Say
What is this really for? Who decides, and did they? Let's separate the outcome we need from the approval we still need.
Do: Read the Friday demo facts below. Give everyone one quiet minute to think, then model the worked example. Keep the facts visible.
Model this exchange
Delivery lead: “What must the demo show on Friday? Who owns that commitment, and have they agreed to a smaller scope?”
Requester: “I still need to confirm the acceptance criteria with the commitment owner.”
Delivery lead: “Core plus handoff is 4 hours within the available 5. I propose that package for Friday and ask the owner to confirm it. Polish later remains a separate decision.”
Pair practice and replay · minutes 7–19
7–13 min: Try a pair conversation
Say
Requester: say what you need the demo to accomplish. Delivery lead: ask the two questions in your own words before proposing a plan. Use only the printed facts; unknown is a useful answer.
Do: Take one minute to read, three minutes to talk and two minutes to record: proposed scope, open question, decision owner and when to check back. The observer records questions, not scores.
Keep this record on paper
- Proposed scope: what could fit?
- Open question: what must you check?
- Decision owner: who must answer or approve?
- Check back: when will you ask for that answer? A proposed time still needs agreement.
Proposed scope: ______________________________________________
Open question: ________________________________________________
Decision owner / check-back time: ______________________________
13–19 min: Swap roles and replay
Say
Swap roles. This time a reviewer says the polish matters most. That is a preference, not approval for more time. What would you need to ask before changing your proposal?
Do: Take one minute to reread the unchanged facts, three minutes to replay and two minutes to record what changed. Keep Friday noon and five hours fixed. Name any requested change as pending; do not invent permission.
If a pair finishes early: Ask what could make the receiving person unable to use the demo. Check the handoff instead of adding new work. If time runs short, finish the current sentence and move to the next agenda stage; leave open decisions visible.
Debrief and close · minutes 19–30
19–26 min: Debrief the decisions
Say
Which fact changed your proposal? Which decision is still open? What would count as an explicit answer from the person who owns it?
Do: Give pairs one minute to compare notes, invite voluntary examples for four minutes, then spend two minutes separating confirmed facts, proposals and approvals on a shared sheet. Use the answer guide below if the group gets stuck.
Answer guide · use after the pair round
Core plus required handoff takes 4 hours. All three parts take 7 hours, which exceeds the 5 available. One spare hour does not fit 3 hours of polish. Estimates are not guarantees.
A reviewer’s preference does not change capacity or authorize a new date. Keep the handoff visible. Ask the commitment owner to confirm the acceptance criteria and scope. An alternative full-scope plan needs an explicitly approved later date or extra capacity that is both approved and actually available. Neither is part of this replay.
If discussion gets personal: “Let’s return to the fictional facts. Which information or decision is missing?” Invite people to pass rather than explain a real dispute.
26–30 min: Choose one next question
Say
Write one question you could ask before your next commitment. Keep names and confidential details off the page. What answer would let you take the next step?
Do: Allow two minutes to write, one minute for optional sharing and one minute to close. Each person keeps their notes. Agree one process question to try; any benefit still needs to be observed in use.
My next question: ______________________________________________
The answer I need before acting: ________________________________
Keep practicing
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Practice draft; no training outcome or certification is promised. About this practice.
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