Method guide · Arrange people and ideas
Trade-off Bridge
Identify losses on both sides and develop exchange conditions only with people who actually chose each position.
- People
- 6–40
- Base procedure time
- 40 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Generate ideas; Make a decision.
English guide
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How this method works
A conversation for examining the losses arising from two competing positions. Use it when decisions repeatedly compare only the benefits of two proposals and ignore what the other side would lose. Participants choose the position they value and write what it would lose if the other proposal were chosen. Only groups with at least one person who actually chose each position write exchange conditions that reduce the other side’s losses. A group missing one side does not speak for it through guesses; it records that confirmation with the person is needed. The result is exchange conditions and losses to confirm before a trial. Do not use it to reach a conclusion without the people involved or for choices resolved by simple prioritisation alone.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
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- Choose one of two positions0–6 minutes from the start (6 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
- Write the losses6–14 minutes from the start (8 minutes)
Action: Write. Participation: Groups sharing a position.
Shared record
- Write exchange conditions14–26 minutes from the start (12 minutes)
Action: Write. Participation: Small groups including both positions.
Shared record
- Check the conditions26–34 minutes from the start (8 minutes)
Action: Check. Participation: Small groups including both positions.
Shared record
- Choose a condition34–40 minutes from the start (6 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 6 minutes, each person in the prearranged groups of 4–8 chooses one position they value and moves to its card.
- For 8 minutes, each person writes on loss cards what their position would lose if the other proposal were chosen.
- For 12 minutes, only groups containing participants who chose both positions write exchange conditions that reduce the other side’s losses.
- For 8 minutes, each group arranges the exchange-condition cards between the positions and removes conditions that cannot be upheld from both positions.
- For 6 minutes, everyone reads the remaining conditions and chooses one exchange condition to try first and one loss to observe.
If something changes
If
Five minutes into writing losses, at least one group has no participant who chose one of the positions.
Then
That group stops developing a conclusion, marks that confirmation with the person is needed, and identifies whom to consult and by when.
If
Six minutes into creating exchange conditions, at least half the cards describe only benefits to their own side.
Then
Change the subject of each card to the other side and rewrite one sentence stating how much its loss is reduced.
If
After the trial, 5 or more exchange-condition cards remain.
Then
Keep only conditions that can be tried within 2 weeks and narrow them to no more than 3 cards.
Preparation
Materials
- 2 position cards per small group, one for each competing value
- 2 needs-confirmation-with-the-person cards per small group, one for each position
- 2 loss cards per person, approximately A6 size
- 6 exchange-condition cards per small group
- One dark-coloured pen per person
- One roll of floor tape per small group
Room and setup
- Small groups of 4–8; 1–5 groups
- Two positions at least 3 m apart per group, displaying the competing values
- Give needs-confirmation cards to groups that cannot include at least one participant who actually chose each position
- One floor area per group between the positions, at least 1 m wide, with room for 6 exchange-condition cards
Adjust for people and time
With fewer than 6 people, it is difficult to include both positions in each group, so do not draw a conclusion; switch to confirmation with the people concerned. With 6–40, form 1–5 groups of 4–8, with sizes differing by no more than 1. Include at least one participant who actually chose each position in each group. Where this is impossible, do not conclude: mark that confirmation is needed and identify whom to consult and by when. With 41 or more, use separate sessions.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Do not invent an absent side’s losses or speak for it. Develop exchange conditions only when both positions are actually represented by people who chose them. If one side is missing, stop conclusion-building and arrange direct confirmation before any trial.
Historical translation and source notes
These original notes are retained verbatim with their fixed source versions. This historical label does not resolve a source-specific concern or establish current acceptance.
- The third branch refers to a point after the trial, but the timed steps select a first condition to try without specifying a trial stage. This draft does not insert a trial into the 40-minute schedule.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Taiwa no Fumen editorial team: Trade-off Bridge
Original description and illustrations
Diagram, print, and video language
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Editorial provenance
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