Dear Reader,

Do you sometimes feel like you're herding cats when it comes to strategy?

Trust us, we know the feeling. Getting stakeholders to agree can feel like an uphill battle.

But fear not! We've got a tool to help you navigate the choppy waters of team alignment. Sam Kaner's gradient of agreement scale is a useful tool for visualizing a team's opinions and can help identify areas of agreement, disagreement, and uncertainty.

Here's how it works in a nutshell:

1. Ask your team to rate their level of agreement on a scale of 1-8 with a statement related to your UX strategy. 1 being "Whole-hearted Endorsement" and 8 being "veto".
2. Once everyone has rated their level of agreement, visualize all the results on a 1-8 scale.
3. Identify the areas of agreement, disagreement, and uncertainty. This will help you understand where your team stands and where you need to focus your efforts to get everyone on the same page.
4. Use this information to facilitate a discussion among your team. Ask those who rated their agreement levels differently to share their thoughts and reasons. This can help uncover assumptions and misunderstandings, leading to better alignment and agreement.

By using the gradient of agreement scale in workshops or meetings, you can create a safe and collaborative space where everyone's opinions and perspectives are heard and valued.

This can help you overcome challenges such as having the HIPPO in the room, not being the decision-maker, or people not sharing their opinion when their bosses are in the room.

Remember, not everyone will always agree, but that's okay!

By using a tool like the gradient of agreement scale, you'll be able to identify the areas where you need to focus your efforts and work towards a common goal.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your team, some markers, and a whiteboard, and let's make your next strategy workshop a success!

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We just launched a book club...

Our first book will be Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres in April. Grab the book and join the #book-club channel in the Guild of Working Designers Slack to join!

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MEETUP: B2B Survival Guide for UX Designers
​Wednesday, April 12, 2023​
​Learn to improve the user experience when your customer is another business.​
​Reserve a seat​

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Defining UX Strategy
​April 17-May 8, 2023​
​Learn how to build a winning UX or product strategy that aligns design with business.
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Facilitating Workshops
​May 15-Jun. 5, 2023​
​Learn how to design creative working sessions and lead collaborative work.
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💪 Daily ethical design practices
​This guide outlines daily ethical design practices including how to peruse well-being, equity, and sustainability.​
​shared by Joshua Stehr
​Learn more​

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📖 The Solutionists: How Businesses Can Fix the Future
​The Solutionists sets out what it takes to join the new generation of entrepreneurs and leaders transforming business to create a more sustainable society.​
​shared by Lizzie Hamblin
​Learn more​

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Apply to join the Guild of Working Designers here.

shared by Filipe Monteiro in the Guild​

Until next week!

Hannah Baker
​Educator & Co-Founder
​The Fountain Institute