Goal-sharing discussion guide

Purpose 

It might sound strange to think about working out goals of a canoe trip, but everyone has their own spoken or unspoken goals for any trip, and it's good to share these upfront. Use this guide to have those discussions before it's too late. 

Certain surprises and conflicts can be avoided by determining what everyone actually wants out of a trip, and then finding an agreed way forward. For instance, some people might enjoy the social and high-energy times, but they also really need their alone time to fully relax. For some, it can feel awkward to assert those needs, an the psychological affect known as "Groupthink" usually prevents people from sharing their true feelings in a group. A protocol like this helps get past that by guiding a conversation about everyone's needs in a safe way before the trip. 

Answering the questions can occur before a meeting, using the handout linked below, or within a meeting where each person can write down their selection as they are read aloud. Before hand, explain that this is a goal-identification session to ensure that everyone can get what they need out of the trip. Assumptions that everyone feels the same way are a recipe for conflict or resentment.

The goal is understanding, not consensus. 

This protocol requires one person to act as a facilitator and will use the following to guide the group through process. You can use this guide document to record the group's selections (Click File and make a copy or print).

Part 1: Collecting the groups goals

The facilitator explains that they will read a list of 15 statements and asks that everyone silently record their response out of four using the following scale: 

1 = Not at all important to me. 

2 = Marginally important to me.

3 = Important to me. 

4 = Very important to me. 

Read through the list and ask everyone not to comment on anything while the scoring is taking place, and to only select a number from 1 to 4 for each item. Do not allow too much thinking time for each since a gut-response is best. People may start second-guessing themselves or thinking about the point of view of others if too much time is given.

I need to: 

1. time to physically relax.

2. quality social time. 

3. opportunities to push my skill level and practice.

4. opportunities for alone time. 

5. to laugh a lot, and have a really fun time and let loose.

6. to feel immersed in nature and escape from the rat race.

7. plenty of time to just enjoy really good whitewater.

8. to enjoy delicious camp-made food.

9. to be frugal and not spend a lot of money on this trip.

10. to not feel rushed.

11. get a good restorative sleep by being able to sleep in.

12. get to bed early and get a good early start to each day.

13. experience a lot of the river by paddling a high number of kilometres each day.

14. enjoy high-risk, adrenaline-pumping excitement.

15. feel appreciated or recognized for my unique contributions to the trip.

(PDF hand out version)

Part 2: Personal trip statement

Ask everyone to complete this sentence and write it down. Answers should be no more than 6 words. 

"I need this trip to be ____________________________." 

Up to two minutes can be given to complete this part. 

Part 3: Sharing

• Ask someone to record all the responses. 

• When everyone is done recording their number, the facilitator will go through the list and ask everyone to share their number. 

  • If there are formal or informal leaders of the group, they should be the last to share their numbers for the first few rounds.

  • Hold off on comments about individual items until the group has gone through the whole list. 

  • Make each round a random order through the group so that it doesn't create a pattern. 

Part 4: Discussion

• When all the numbers are in, start by going randomly around the circle (again not starting with formal or informal leaders) and ask everyone to read their one-line statement from part 2.

• Open the floor to a group about the data. Start the conversation with "What trends do we see here?" The rest of the conversation can come naturally, but the facilitator will need to pull everyone back to the list if they veer off topic or get into story-telling. 

• What changes are needed/possible to accommodate everyone's goals for the trip? 

• Are there any areas that could be a potential conflict? (Start time, paddling hours) 

Some action-items may come out of the discussion, but the main purpose is for everyone to be aware and understand the variety of goals for the trip and avoid assumptions on the trip.