Method guide · Arrange people and ideas
Shared Definition Wall
Compare a word’s meaning, exclusions, and examples without forcing different uses into one definition.
- People
- 4–40
- Base procedure time
- 20 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Explore through dialogue; Build working relationships.
English guide
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How this method works
A wall conversation that records a key term’s meaning, exclusions, and judgement examples in three columns. Use it when people use the same word but imagine different scopes, leaving work misaligned despite apparent agreement. Participants write not just meanings but what the term excludes and concrete judgement examples on separate cards. Compare differences through positions on the wall and retain up to 3 definitions for different uses rather than forcing one definition. The result is a vocabulary wall with boundaries and usage situations. At a meeting’s start, point to the usage situation to check quickly which definition applies. Do not use it to change terms whose definitions are already fixed by law or contract.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
Use the arrow keys, Home or End while these controls have focus. The complete phase schedule remains below, including without JavaScript.
- Display the term0–3 minutes from the start (3 minutes)
Action: Display. Participation: Everyone.
Recording not separately specified for this phase
- Write the three aspects3–8 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Write. Participation: 1 person.
Individual record
- Read the wall8–12 minutes from the start (4 minutes)
Action: Read. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
- Discuss the boundaries12–17 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Discuss. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
- Keep the definitions17–20 minutes from the start (3 minutes)
Action: Keep. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 3 minutes, display one key term whose meaning differs between people and draw meaning, exclusion, and judgement-example columns on the wall.
- For 5 minutes, each person writes the term’s meaning, what it excludes, and one concrete judgement example, one item on each separate card.
- For 4 minutes, silently place cards in the 3 columns. Separate cards vertically where the meaning matches but the exclusions or examples differ.
- For 5 minutes, discuss the boundaries between separated cards at the wall and add one sentence about when each definition is used.
- For 3 minutes, retain up to 3 practical definitions rather than unifying them, and set a time to check them.
If something changes
If
Three minutes after writing begins, fewer than 2 exclusion cards have appeared in total.
Then
Give one opposite situation to a judgement example and write whether it is included on an exclusion card.
If
Two minutes into wall reading, 80% or more of the cards are concentrated in the meaning column.
Then
Move meaning cards next to their corresponding judgement examples and put meanings without examples in a pending area.
If
Two minutes into selection, 4 or more definitions remain.
Then
Merge just one pair with overlapping uses and retain up to 3 definitions that are still distinct.
Preparation
Materials
- One key-term card per term, approximately A3 size
- 3 meaning cards per person, approximately A6 size
- 2 exclusion cards per person, approximately A6 size
- 2 judgement-example cards per person, approximately A6 size
- One dark-coloured pen per person
Room and setup
- A wall area with 3 columns for each key term: meaning, exclusions, and judgement examples; no more than 10 people per section
- At least 90 cm of space per term to retain up to 3 definitions vertically
Adjust for people and time
With fewer than 4 people, address only one term and have each person write one set of the 3 columns. With 4–10, use one group for one term. With 11–40, form groups of no more than 10, each responsible for a different key term. Each group transfers up to 3 definitions and one judgement example to the whole-group wall. Do not merge definitions there; check only their usage situations.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Do not change definitions fixed by law or contract. Preserve different usage situations instead of forcing one definition, and put meanings without examples on hold.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Taiwa no Fumen editorial team: Shared Definition Wall
Original description and illustrations
Diagram, print, and video language
Original Japanese guide, diagram, and print view. Their labels and print text have not been translated; an English print edition is not provided here.
English video-library navigation. Original Japanese audio, subtitles and transcripts remain labelled Japanese resources. Their translations are separate later work. No remote player is embedded here.
The manual English phase controls are a navigation aid, not a live facilitation timer. Interactive diagram motion remains pending.
Editorial provenance
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