How do you facilitate and moderate affinity diagram sessions with diverse stakeholders?

1 Prepare the session

Before you start the session, you need to define the purpose and scope of the affinity diagram, and gather the relevant data sources. You also need to select the participants, who should represent different perspectives, roles, or backgrounds related to the data. Ideally, you should have between 5 and 15 participants, and assign them to smaller groups of 3 or 4. You also need to prepare the materials, such as sticky notes, pens, and a large wall or board.

2 Generate ideas

The first step of the session is to generate ideas based on the data. You can ask the participants to write down their observations, insights, or questions on sticky notes, one per note. You can also provide some prompts or categories to guide them, such as "What surprised you?", "What are the pain points?", or "What are the opportunities?". Encourage them to be specific, concise, and creative, and to use their own words. Give them enough time to generate as many ideas as possible, and collect the sticky notes.

3 Sort and group

The next step is to sort and group the sticky notes based on their similarities or connections. You can ask the participants to work in their small groups, or as a whole group, depending on the size and complexity of the data. You can also use different methods, such as silent sorting, where the participants move the sticky notes without talking, or verbal sorting, where they discuss and negotiate the placement of the sticky notes. The goal is to create clusters of related ideas, and to avoid overlapping or duplicate notes.

4 Label and summarize

The final step is to label and summarize the clusters of ideas, and to create a hierarchy or structure for the affinity diagram. You can ask the participants to come up with a short and descriptive name for each cluster, and write it on a larger sticky note or a card. You can also ask them to identify the main themes or categories that emerge from the clusters, and to arrange them in a logical order. You can use different colors, shapes, or symbols to differentiate the levels of the affinity diagram.

5 Facilitate and moderate

Throughout the session, you need to facilitate and moderate the interaction and collaboration of the participants. You need to explain the rules and objectives of the session, and to provide clear instructions and time limits for each step. You also need to monitor the progress and quality of the work, and to intervene when necessary. You can use different techniques, such as asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing, summarizing, or synthesizing, to elicit and clarify the ideas, and to resolve any conflicts or disagreements.

6 Review and refine

After the session, you need to review and refine the affinity diagram, and to share it with the participants and other stakeholders. You need to check the accuracy and completeness of the data, and to make any adjustments or corrections if needed. You also need to document and communicate the results and insights of the affinity diagram, and to explain how they relate to the purpose and scope of the project. You can use different formats, such as reports, presentations, or dashboards, to convey the information and recommendations.