Debate
"What does the evidence show?"
The Realist chairs. Primary boxes: Questions & Decisions + Reality from the six-box canvas. Energy is convergent — narrow criteria, stress-test positions.
A debate produces fewer options, not more. It takes the raw material from Discovery or Collision and forges it into decision criteria. The output feeds directly into a Decision meeting.
Protocol
| Stage | Protocol | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Frame the question. Distribute positions with evidence. Max 15 attendees. | Positions stated |
| During | Structured disagreement. Each position gets equal time. Red team welcome. | Criteria narrowed |
| After | Document which positions survived and why. Feed into Decision meeting. | Decision criteria |
Running It
- Chair holds the mirror: "What does the evidence show?" and "What would a skeptic say?"
- Steelman every position before dismissing it — if you can't state the opposing case fairly, you haven't understood it
- Narrow the option space. The purpose is fewer options, not more.
- "That won't work" needs evidence, not instinct. Gut reactions get one sentence, then must show proof.
- Max 15 people. Larger groups produce performance, not debate.
Red Team
Assign at least one person to argue against the emerging consensus. Their job: find the weakest assumption and attack it. If the position survives red team, it earns the right to enter a Decision meeting.
A debate without a red team is a confirmation ceremony.
Shadow Risk
Cynicism. Tearing down without building. The room becomes skilled at finding flaws but incapable of committing to anything. Every option gets killed.
Shadow check: Are we grounding or killing? If every position gets dismissed, the problem might not be the positions — it might be the room's unwillingness to commit.
Wrong Meeting?
| Signal | Redirect to |
|---|---|
| Positions aren't stated yet | Discovery — build shared understanding first |
| Everyone already agrees | Decision — no need to debate, just commit |
| New ideas keep emerging instead of narrowing | Collision — let divergence run its course |
| Room needs creative energy, not evidence | Collision — protect sparks first |
Context
- Realist Archetype — The chair's operating mode
- Make Meetings Matter — The six-box canvas
- Meetings — Universal protocol
- Decision Making — The framework debate feeds into
Questions
How do you distinguish productive disagreement from destructive conflict?
- What signal tells you the room has narrowed enough to move to a Decision meeting?
- When should the chair override the red team and protect a fragile but promising position?
- If steelmanning is the rule, what happens when no one in the room can articulate the opposing case?