A values-based deliberation process

When conflict flares in boardrooms or community life, it is often because people mix up their beliefs with the actions they want to take based on those beliefs. When the two get tangled together, any disagreement can feel personal – as if questioning someone’s idea is the same as rejecting their values. 

A value is the principle or ideal you are trying to uphold, such as fairness, safety, inclusion, work ethic, integrity or environmental care. 

A solution is the concrete action, policy or project you think will best deliver that value, such as introducing new safety procedures, building more ramps, introducing a particular policy or banning single-use plastics. 

By pulling those two layers apart, we can protect shared values while staying open to different ways of achieving them.  

When someone disagrees with our proposed solution, it does not mean they are disagreeing with the value behind it. Ideally, the situation is an opportunity to seek a different, possibly more creative, solution – together.  

Here’s a method for separating values from proposed solutions, broken down into 10 steps. This can help a board or team to understand what they are all working towards and to generate ideas on how to best achieve their goal. 

Start by identifying the moral or civic principle driving the conversation – for example, fairness, safety, inclusion, stewardship, dignity, transparency or sustainability. 

Write down the specific policy, program or decision on the table. Avoid using shorthand or making assumptions: spell it out. 

Connect the action to the value. This often reveals that opposing actions can serve the same value in different ways. It helps us to recognise that our suggested solution is not a value in itself; it is just one way to express the value. This reduces what is at stake. 

Push beyond the first idea. There is always more than one way to live or express a principle. Even if you liked the first idea, it’s helpful to have options to compare it to. 

Every option will cost something – for example, time, money, reputation or attention. Sometimes a solution will come at a higher cost to one group of people than another. Write the costs down.  

Ask “What do we actually know?”, not “What do we assume?” Gather data, examples or case studies. 

Translate the principle into measurable or observable results, such as “fewer complaints,” “increased participation” or “lower energy costs”. 

Identify the signals that would prompt a rethink. This builds humility and accountability. It takes courage and can feel very uncomfortable. 

Sometimes one value clashes with another (e.g. transparency vs privacy). Note where tensions exist so you can balance them deliberately. 

End with one short statement capturing what you have learned; for example: 

“We all value fairness, but we differ on the best way to achieve it. We will trial option A for six months and then review the data together.”