Module 5 checkpoint: pick the right method for the moment

Four methods. Different moments. The PM's job is reading which one fits — and not faking a consensus when there isn't one.

A working mental map: digital whiteboards for generation; affinity clustering for synthesis; impact/effort matrix for prioritization; dot voting for selection. Most decision sessions string two or three of these together: generate, cluster, vote.

A consensus is faked when the facilitator pre-selected the outcome and used the tools as theater. The tell: nobody changed their position during the session. Real consensus involves people moving — someone arguing one way at the start ending up persuaded, or the group arriving at an option nobody walked in with.

When you cannot reach consensus, name it. "We have spent 30 minutes on this and we are still split. Let's table the decision until next meeting, with X and Y both writing a one-paragraph case for their position." Do not force a vote on a fractured room. The follow-through will collapse.

A note for community PMs working across language: dot voting and affinity clustering travel exceptionally well across language. Impact/effort discussions require more language scaffolding. Build for the team you have, not the team in the textbook.