The Stepladder Technique is a method of decision making that can overcome some of the problems of team decision making. By involving each member of the team presents his or her views to the team without having heard the views of other team members first. The aim is to build a complete picture of the varied inputs of the team before they consider their collective problem interpretation or decision. The approach leads to a greater number or range of ideas being presented since conformity processes are minimized.

Give sufficient time for each member to have thought about the problem under consideration, then it starts with the creation of a core team of 2 people. Team members are then asked to join the group one at a time. Each new team member presents their opinion to the group before the group discussion starts. In this way, everyone is encouraged to express their opinion equally and divergent perspectives are more likely to be offered, leading to constructive debate.

Stepladder technique illustration

Record your Team Afford with Stepladder Technique Template

The stepladder technique is a structured procedure that facilitates effective group decision making. The goal is to ensure that the thoughts and ideas of all members are made available to the group so that they can be considered while the group is reaching a decision. The following template is useful for recording the findings, ideas, and opinion for the activity:

Stepladder Brainstorming Template

Stepladder brainstorming template

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Stepladder Brainstorming Template 2

Stepladder brainstorming template 02

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Stepladder Brainstorming Template 3

Stepladder technique template

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