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Taiwa no FumenPractical methods for shared thinking

English edition: the full translation has not yet received an independent line-by-line review. Check the linked sources and method-specific limits before use. Japanese PDFs and videos remain labelled.

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Reflection, learning and knowledge transfer

Reflect on Practice and Choose an Experiment

Briefly review what happened and record improvement experiments people can carry out themselves, along with issues to put on hold.

People
5–30
Session time
75 minutes
Format
In person

English session plan

Original program status: draft. Source safety category: Low; this is not a guarantee of safety.

Preparation: Light preparation. Facilitation team: 3 organising roles.

What this session can decide

Select improvement experiments to try within the team. Refer individual evaluation, accident investigation and institutional changes to separate procedures.

Outside its scope

  • Do not look for someone to blame for failure.
  • Do not use this for individual appraisal.
  • Do not assert causation from a single experience.

Primary caution: Do not look for someone to blame for failure.

Before starting

Question and scope
Briefly review what happened and record improvement experiments people can carry out themselves, along with issues to put on hold. Before the session starts, state the subject and period to be covered in one sentence.
What is decided here
Select improvement experiments to try within the team. Refer individual evaluation, accident investigation and institutional changes to separate procedures.
Output recipient
At the end, the Recorder retains “List of issues on hold”. Record where to check, conditions for resuming and reasons for not addressing an issue.
Participation and information boundaries
Let people choose to participate by speaking, writing, or passing. Keep personal information, confidential information, and assessments based on personal attributes off the record surfaces.
Operating team
Assign the Lead facilitator, Recorder, and Timekeeper before starting, and confirm who announces switches and stops.
Next check
Decide the review date for “List of issues on hold”, who may view it and who is responsible for the next decision.

Who takes responsibility

Lead facilitator

Keep “Reflect on Practice and Choose an Experiment” within its purpose and stated exclusions, and announce the start and end of each stage.

From before the start until the session ends.

Recorder

Record “Retrospective timeline”, “Improvement-experiment commitments”, “List of issues on hold” at each stage and hand the records to their recipients at the end.

From preparation of recording surfaces before the start through storage after the session.

Timekeeper

Notify the Lead facilitator 3 minutes before each stage ends and when switching to breaks or buffer time.

At the start of every stage and 3 minutes before its end.

Session flow

Minutes are measured from the session start. Method time, transition time, breaks and buffer are shown separately; they are not additional overlapping activities.

  1. 0–23 minutes

    Review what happened in chronological order

    Method: Realtime Retrospective · 0–20 minutes. Transition: 20–23 minutes (3 minutes).

    Place events from the period being reviewed in chronological order. Write observed facts before evaluations, and mark recurring events and turning points.

    Responsible: Lead facilitator; Recorder; Timekeeper

    Output: Retrospective timeline

    Handoff: Pass recurring events to the question about improvement actions.

    This stage may be shortened only in accordance with the stated conditions.

  2. 23–46 minutes

    Select improvements people can make themselves

    Method: 15% Solutions · 23–43 minutes. Transition: 43–46 minutes (3 minutes).

    Write actions that can be changed without additional authority or budget. Each person selects one, decides when to start and specifies how to check for change.

    Responsible: Lead facilitator; Recorder; Timekeeper

    Output: Improvement-experiment commitments

    Handoff: Retain experiments with a responsible person and pass issues without one to the holding area.

    This stage is not marked as shortenable.

  3. 46–59 minutes

    Put issues outside this session’s scope on hold

    Method: Parking Lot · 46–56 minutes. Transition: 56–59 minutes (3 minutes).

    Move issues that cannot be addressed within the available time to the holding area, one at a time. Add where to check and the conditions for addressing them next, distinguishing deliberate deferral from simply leaving them unattended.

    Responsible: Lead facilitator; Recorder; Timekeeper

    Output: List of issues on hold

    Handoff: Pass the experiment list to the responsible people and the issues on hold to the next session’s organiser.

    This stage is not marked as shortenable.

What is retained and who receives it

Retrospective timeline

Owner: Recorder

Place events, reactions and turning points on a shared timeline.

Improvement-experiment commitments

Owner: Recorder

Turn them into actions with responsible people, start dates and observation methods.

List of issues on hold

Owner: Recorder

Record where to check, conditions for resuming and reasons for not addressing an issue.

Materials and setup

Material names, quantities, groups and handling instructions retain the fixed draft's original helper-derived guidance. Where a format is marked “Source material specification”, the entire bound English source material entry takes precedence over the old helper-derived format guidance. This format-only correction does not resolve other instruction or safety concerns. English names are not substituted into a Japanese-keyed lookup.

Everyday tools

Pens

Quantity: 1 per person

Format: Dark broad-tip pens or whiteboard markers

Check that the ink flows and place the pens where participants can reach them. Avoid pale-coloured pens.

Sheets to prepare by hand

Paper slips for anonymously recording reactions that occurred during the activity

Quantity: 3 per person

Format: Sticky notes around 75 × 75 mm, or A4 copy paper cut into four pieces.

Write “Positive reaction”, “Reaction reflecting difficulty” and “Surprised reaction” on separate sheets, preparing the required number of each type. Distinguish types by their written headings even if the paper is the same colour. Prepare equal numbers of the three types: positive, difficulty and surprise.

Table arranging when reactions occurred and the corresponding facts

Quantity: 1 sheet per group plus 1 for whole-group consolidation

Format: Two A4 sheets placed side by side. Join them with masking tape if a larger surface is needed.

Draw a timeline from left to right and place the times when reactions occurred and the observed facts in order. Below it, create a separate field for “Assumptions about causes”; do not mix observed facts with assumptions.

Milestone cards

Quantity: 2 per group

Format: Sticky notes around 75 × 75 mm, or A4 copy paper cut into four pieces.

Do not buy specialised cards. Write “Milestone” at the top of each paper slip. If participants write on them, use one item per slip and handwrite the necessary headings before the session starts.

15% action cards

Quantity: 2 per person

Format: Source material specification: Two A6 action cards per person for a 15% solution

Source-bound format display correction; the other fixed helper-derived guidance is unchanged.

Do not buy special-purpose materials. Write “15% action” at the top of each paper piece. If participants will write on it, use one item per piece and handwrite the required headings before starting.

Surface for sharing the small action each person chose

Quantity: 1 surface

Format: Large-format paper or a whiteboard

Divide the work surface into 3 fields: “Action I will try”, “Date to try it” and “Person to reflect with afterwards”. Do not rely on colour alone; write each field heading in words.

Sticky note for the date to try a small action

Quantity: 1 per person

Format: Sticky notes around 75 × 75 mm, or A4 copy paper cut into four pieces.

Write the person’s chosen action, the date to try it and someone to reflect with afterwards. Provide one per person so they can take it home.

Cards for issues on hold

Quantity: 2 per person

Format: Sticky notes around 75 × 75 mm, or A4 copy paper cut into four pieces.

Do not buy specialised cards. Write “Issue on hold” at the top of each paper slip. If participants write on them, use one item per slip and handwrite the necessary headings before the session starts. Write the name of the person who added the issue only if they wish.

Table for deciding the next handling of issues on hold

Quantity: 1 sheet per group plus 1 for whole-group consolidation

Format: Source material specification: One A3 three-exit sheet per group, plus one for whole-group collection

Source-bound format display correction; the other fixed helper-derived guidance is unchanged.

Divide the working surface into 3 fields: “Assign responsibility and continue checking”, “Send to the next agenda” and “Discard with a recorded reason”. Write each heading in words rather than relying on colour alone.

Headings for deciding how to handle issues on hold

Quantity: 3 per group

Format: Sticky notes around 75 × 75 mm, or A4 copy paper cut into four pieces.

Write “Assign responsibility and continue checking”, “Send to the next agenda” and “Discard with a recorded reason” on separate sheets, preparing the required number of each type. Distinguish types by their written headings even if the paper is the same colour.

Materials chosen for the session conditions

Submission box

Quantity: 1 per group

Format: An opaque envelope or empty box already available

Leave only the submission opening open, and write the person responsible for collection and the opening time on the label. There is no need to buy a dedicated box.

Setup for each method

Realtime Retrospective

  1. Groups of 5–10, with group sizes differing by no more than one person
  2. One worktable per group for its timeline sheet and submission box
  3. One whole-group consolidation surface for overlaying the groups’ milestones

15% Solutions

  1. Chairs arranged so 2–4 people can face one another
  2. A space on a table or on each person's lap where only they can read their action card
  3. Explain at the outset that advice is given only when requested

Parking Lot

  1. Groups of 3–6, with a size difference of no more than 1 person
  2. One working table or wall surface per group for its three-exit sheet
  3. One whole-group collection surface for unresolved issues from the groups

When to switch or stop

Fallbacks

Fewer than 3 events are identified.

Select only one recent situation; each person writes one observed fact.

Method guide: Realtime Retrospective

Stop conditions

People begin using individuals’ names to evaluate their abilities or attitudes.
Stop those contributions and return to observable events and systems.
Establishing the facts of a serious accident, misconduct or harassment becomes necessary.
Stop the retrospective and refer the matter for a formal investigation.

Sources, rights and limits

This site has composed this programme’s purpose, method sequence, delivery instructions, roles, outputs and switching conditions. See each individual method page for that method’s sources and licences.

Original source records and their required notices are retained below. Their presence does not mean a new legal or cultural-safety clearance. Original citation titles are kept in their source language.

Sources and required notices for the 3 methods used

Realtime Retrospective

  • Source: Matt Takane; Johan Bonneau: Realtime Retrospective | https://openpracticelibrary.com/practice/realtime-retrospective/ | CC BY 4.0 adaptation; changes made
  • Source: CC BY 4.0 | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  • Attribution: Matt Takane; Johan Bonneau | Authors and contributors credited in the source material
  • Attribution: Taiwa no Fumen Editorial Team | Japanese adaptation and this site’s original illustrations
  • Changes and adaptation: Adapted with changes as Japanese facilitation scores
  • Cultural caution: open-method screening complete: Closed, ritual or sacred cultural practices are not used as sources; opting out, sensitive information and power differences are addressed in each method’s limits and branches.
  • Limits of this record: Individual contributors are credited. Text covered by CC BY 4.0 was adapted with changes into Japanese facilitation scores. Exception notices, the site logo and third-party embedded material were excluded.

Current-page credit and licence companion for this method

15% Solutions

  • Source: Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026) — Henri Lipmanowicz; Keith McCandless; Nancy White | https://www.liberatingstructures.com/15-percent-solutions | CC BY-SA 4.0 adaptation; changes made
  • Source: Creative Commons License — Liberating Structures | https://www.liberatingstructures.com/cc-license | CC-BY-SA-4.0 notice
  • Source: CC BY-SA 4.0 | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ | Licence text
  • Attribution: Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless; Keith McCandless and Nancy White | Author/contributor credit from the original material
  • Attribution: Taiwa no Fumen Editorial Team | Japanese adaptation and this site’s original illustrations
  • Changes and adaptation: Adapted with changes as Japanese facilitation scores
  • ShareAlike: Provided under CC-BY-SA-4.0
  • Cultural caution: open-method screening complete: Closed, ritual or sacred cultural practices are not used as sources; opting out, sensitive information and power differences are addressed in each method’s limits and branches.
  • Limits of this record: Adapted with changes into Japanese facilitation scores under CC BY-SA 4.0 and provided under the same licence. Only the current pages are covered; materials dating from June 2026 or earlier, official icons and third-party material were excluded.

Current-page credit and licence companion for this method

Parking Lot

  • Source: Matt Takane: Parking Lot | https://openpracticelibrary.com/practice/parking-lot-car-park/ | CC BY 4.0 adaptation; changes made
  • Source: CC BY 4.0 | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  • Attribution: Matt Takane | Authors and contributors credited in the source material
  • Attribution: Taiwa no Fumen Editorial Team | Japanese adaptation and this site’s original illustrations
  • Changes and adaptation: Adapted with changes as Japanese facilitation scores
  • Cultural caution: open-method screening complete: Closed, ritual or sacred cultural practices are not used as sources; opting out, sensitive information and power differences are addressed in each method’s limits and branches.
  • Limits of this record: Individual contributors are credited. Text covered by CC BY 4.0 was adapted with changes into Japanese facilitation scores. Exception notices, the site logo and third-party embedded material were excluded.

Current-page credit and licence companion for this method

Historical fixed-draft notes

The original fixed draft notes are retained without deletion as historical records of those fixed source versions. Current material format corrections are separately identified above; these notes do not imply that other concerns have been resolved.

  • The fixed sourceRaw for preparedMaterials.5 specifies A6, while the frozen helper-produced formats offer approximately 75×75 mm sticky notes or quartered A4 paper. The coordinator's separate material-sizing investigation remains pending. These source representations and their translations are retained without correction or a claim that these sizes are equivalent.

Japanese resources and historical source records

Original Japanese plan and its print view · Japanese operation pack or starter materials

An English print edition is not provided here. The linked plans, print views and operation materials are Japanese resources.

Historical recorded publication holds

The following original hold statements are retained verbatim with their fixed source versions. They are not a statement of current acceptance, nor does this historical label resolve a source-specific restriction.

  • English translation and rendered-page independent acceptance pending
  • Method dependency source/text SHA binding and current source-specific rights verification pending
  • Publication not cleared
Historical fixed-source and English-draft provenance

Japanese program SHA-256: 2413d5d2c651f50dab379717c7dfd15e66aa8162820383292d53be12f920e8fe

Fixed source context SHA-256: ef1ab6fb3491076e5481f9973ad54947acd00ddcb7e11ab6bf6980226a94948d

English draft SHA-256: 48779c33dd39b4655eaac3de81d597af27dc3f1e165876f136d2cc7946cdf54c

  • fifteen-percent-solutions: source 9fc0898f6f2fe2ccd2c7b07b6c14ffdaf94f3cea0e9687c47abcd66de5099530; English draft 6fb4e7aab6fbc1a483523be1ec075d9cd40fdc907d0a766fc2f641c51de4c660
  • opl-parking-lot: source c015740ca1595b100852e41bee896d67a773a7412e79a09ec7694c572fb04ca0; English draft 5c7e02842198323d9a8b4acb3cb72dcf37581f24411378a4631bfd4bdbf77fb4
  • opl-realtime-retrospective: source 78eb6ff647e85b4cf445fac18fa49cf8f070833911e6244815a440d172ff3f88; English draft 177111d4beb9f90ef60b6005dddfd488215a959b998aa7638767a96550168ab0

These hashes identify the checked inputs; they do not grant independent acceptance or publication clearance.