Clothesline for target setting by consensus

Clothesline - orb showing people stood on blocks representing clothes line with target setting concensus

The clothesline process enables the development of powerful targets by consensus.

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The clothesline is a specific adaptation of Consensus Reaching and helps a group arrive at a target and develop a shared commitment to it through that process.
Target setting can be the most emotive and divisive of group decisions. As a result of this, it is no accident that targets are often set for you. No accident, but of little real value either.
People need to embrace the target that has been set if they are to be effectively motivated by it. That does not necessarily mean that they believe the target is logically achievable from where they are standing. However, it does mean that they believe it has personal and collective value in driving positive behaviours. In other words, behaviours that would make the greatest progress against it. And they are thereby willing to really commit themselves to pursuing its delivery.
Remember, good targets need to leave headroom for creativity. To see what we mean by that, take a look at  Castles in the air – Setting stretch targets.

How to engage people’s hearts in target setting

But for them to arrive at that sincere commitment, they must be able to fully engage with the arguments and the possibilities. They must be able to sift the facts and experience, and to hear motivational stories to lift their aspirations. And they must be able to weigh up how much their colleagues feel these things too. They need to be able to hear their voices and watch their faces as they too engage in setting the target.
The clothesline’s name comes from the length of string stretched across the room where the discussion takes place. It has cards of different values pegged along its length to represent a number line. The cards progress from the lowest value that any member of the group would wish for. And extend to the highest value that anybody in the room might aspire to.

The clothesline process

Image of the clothesline target setting processThis is adapted from the general consensus process.
  1. Ensure that everyone understands specifically what the clothesline represents (what the measure and numbers mean). People then individually position themselves along the line at the value they would like to set as the target. That is the value which they would unilaterally set at this point in time if it was up to them.
  2. Only one person to speak at a time, with no side conversations and no interruption. People should shift their position along the line as they consider the arguments given.
  3. Articulate facts and opinions clearly, calmly and concisely, with no repeating of points already made.
  4. If people are concerned that people did not listen to the point they made, they can raise the issue and the facilitator can check if it is so.
  5. People indicate to the facilitator that they wish to contribute, and the facilitator maintains a mental queue and invites people to speak in order. People can speak more than once, but cannot repeat points. The facilitator may find it helpful to keep a balance of flow of opinions from different ends of the line.
  6. Suggestions to modify the clothesline metric during the debate are not allowed, but the debate can be stopped and a new one started if everyone agrees. The facilitator can extend the number line if required.
  7. After the last point is made, the facilitator should ask if there is any other piece of information on which someone will base their decision which they have not heard voiced so far.
  8. The facilitator confirms that everyone feels that their points have been heard, and that everyone is now basing their decision on the same information as everybody else.
  9. The facilitator asks people on the line to stand at the value on the line they would pick, but only based on what they have seen or heard (if anyone has some other pertinent reason that has not been voiced, now is the time to submit it). If the group leader is present on the line, they should step out to watch the final adjustment.
  10. After people have adjusted their position, ask the leader to pick the value. This should be the value that they can best justify to the group based on where people are standing.

Ensuring a fair process

Over time you will come to discern where behaviours are undermining the commitment in the process. You will able to spot the person who refuses to move no matter what they hear. (People cannot know everything that others will say when they first stand on the line!) Or the person who takes an extreme final position to shift the average in the direction they want. And over time you will find the words which will address such manipulative behaviours. You may deliver these in the room or outside of it, to the person, to their leader, or to the group as a whole
The following link provides more information on the tool – Excerpt from Chapter 7 of Managing by Design (please start at ‘setting targets’ on page 98 – reading the left hand side only)
Track your progress to ensure the efficacy of this strategy.