Reader situation
In a discussion, someone says, “Our customers don’t use that feature.” Others nod. The conversation moves on as though it’s established. Later, it turns out no one checked; the statement was an impression from a few conversations. Confident statements often become accepted facts without anyone noticing.
Central idea
A discussion becomes clearer when confirmed information, assumptions and unanswered questions are visible. Make those distinctions together, so a confident statement does not silently become an accepted fact.
Practical steps
- Define the question. Start by agreeing what the discussion is trying to answer. “Should we discontinue the reporting feature?” is a clear question. Without one, people bring information that’s relevant to different questions, and it becomes hard to tell what matters. Write the question where everyone can see it, at the top of a shared document, in the opening post of a thread or on a board in a meeting.
- List known information. Ask the group what they know for certain that’s relevant to the question. Known information should be something that can be checked: a figure from a report, a documented decision, a direct quote from a customer, a policy. Record each item briefly. Be strict. If someone says, “We know most customers don’t use it,” ask where that comes from. If the answer is “I’ve heard it from the sales team,” it may belong in the next category.
- Identify source quality. For each item of known information, note where it comes from and how reliable it is. A usage report covering all customers is stronger than feedback from three customers. A recent figure is stronger than one from two years ago. Source quality helps the group decide how much weight each item can bear. A simple rating, such as strong, moderate or weak, is usually enough. The aim is to make reliability visible, not to create a research project.
- Surface assumptions. List the beliefs the discussion is relying on that haven’t been confirmed. Common assumptions include beliefs about customer behavior, costs, timelines, other teams’ plans and what decision-makers want. Invite everyone to add assumptions, including their own: “I’m assuming the budget stays the same next year.” Naming an assumption isn’t a criticism. Most discussions need some assumptions to move forward. The risk comes from not knowing which statements are assumptions.
- Assign open questions. Turn the most important assumptions and gaps into questions, and agree who will try to answer each one and by when. “How many customers used the reporting feature last quarter? Jordan will check the usage data by Friday.” Focus on the questions that would most change the decision if the answer were different. When answers come back, move items from assumptions to known information, or revise the discussion if an assumption turns out to be wrong. Keep the canvas updated, so people who join later can see what has changed and why.
Worked example
Fictional example
The people and details are invented to illustrate an approach. It reports no outcomes.
A Circle for operations leaders is discussing whether to move team meetings from weekly to fortnightly. The host, Meera, sets up a shared canvas with the question: “Would fortnightly meetings work for teams of 10 to 20 people?”
Members list known information. One shares that her team switched a year ago and that project delivery times didn’t change, based on her team’s tracking data. Meera notes the source: one team’s data, moderate strength. She asks whether anyone else has data, and no one does.
Another member says, “People prefer fewer meetings.” Meera asks where that comes from. He says it’s from his own team’s informal comments. The group moves it to assumptions.
They surface two more assumptions: that urgent issues can be handled outside meetings, and that managers will keep in touch with their teams between meetings. Meera turns these into open questions and asks for volunteers. Two members agree to share how their teams handle urgent issues.
At the end, the canvas shows two items of known information, three assumptions and two open questions with owners. A member who joined late says the canvas made it easy to see where the discussion stood.
Companion tool: Facts, assumptions and unknowns canvas
Question: ________
Known information
| Information | Source | Strength (strong / moderate / weak) |
|---|---|---|
Assumptions - ________ - ________
Open questions
| Question | Who will look into it | By when |
|---|---|---|
Boundaries
- Don’t challenge people’s statements in a way that feels like an accusation. Ask about sources with curiosity.
- Not every discussion needs a full canvas. Use it when the question matters and confident claims are shaping the outcome.
- Keep confidential information out of shared canvases in Circles.
Member action
Label the facts, assumptions and unknowns in one discussion you are participating in. Share what you’ve labeled with the group if it helps the discussion.
Discussion prompt
What’s an assumption your team once treated as a fact, and how did you discover it wasn’t?
