Principle: Be at the Right Altitude

Be at the Right Altitude is a Principle that sets up conversations to be at the right right level of detail. 

At the top of a flipchart, draw objects you'd find in the sky, like a plane, clouds, and a hot air balloon. In the middle of the flipchart, draw mountains and hills. At the bottom, draw grass and weeds. Draw a vertical double-headed arrow to represent the concept of altitude. 

Ask participants, "What would be some examples of topics that are at too high a level for the conversation we're about to have?" Record their responses in the sky. Ask, "What are some examples of topics that are too in the weeds?" Record responses in the grass. Ask, "What topics do we need to cover for this to be successful?" Record those in the space remaining in the middle. You might want to circle topics at the right altitude to emphasize that that's where the conversation should be. It's OK to recap the outcomes here.

Put all the responsibility for coming up with example topics on the participants. Throughout the facilitation, model and empower participants to ask, "Is the topic at the right altitude" when they sense the conversation is veering too high or too low.