Leading a Strategic Discussion

• When chairing high-stakes meetings in Seattle or Bristol, mastering discourse functions ensures the debate remains focused, productive, and diplomatic. These strategic phrases help you frame issues, steer conversations, park tangential matters, and converge on resolutions.
• Function
• Useful Phrase
• Example
• Framing
• Let me frame the question in this way…
• Let me frame the question so we address costs first.
• Steering
• I'd like to steer us back to the agenda…
• I'd like to steer us back to the safety audit.
• Parking
• Can we park that for a later session?
• Can we park that issue until the subcommittee reports back?
• Converging
• Where are we converging on this point?
• Where are we converging regarding the playground design?
• Remember
• Use framing phrases at the outset of a complex debate to establish boundaries.
• Steer the assembly back when participants digress into unrelated grievances.
• Park items politely without dismissing members' concerns entirely.
• Summarize periodically to check where the room is converging.
• Examples
• Let me frame the question regarding the new budget.
• Can we park that topic until the afternoon session in Boston?
• Where are we converging on the maintenance schedule?
• Common mistakes
• Let me frame question like this.
• Let me frame the question in this way.
• Can we park to that issue?
• Can we park that issue?

Complete the sentences

• ___ the question so we focus solely on funding. (frame) ____
• ___ us back to the main agenda items. (steer) ____
• ___ that discussion for the quarterly meeting in Chicago? (park) ____
• ___ on a mutually acceptable compromise? (converge) ____
• Let us ___ the core dilemma before taking a vote. (frame) ____
• Could we ___ this specific grievance until later? (park) ____

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