CONTEXT PROVIDED: Group size: 14 people | Time together: 2.5 hours | Topic: Budget reallocation across departments | Disengagement: Questions are met with short answers, two finance directors have spoken 80% of the time, others nodding but not contributing | Time before break: 18 minutes STEP 1 — DIAGNOSIS: C) Dominance dynamic Two finance directors have established conversational dominance, creating an implicit signal that others' input is less valid. The short answers and nodding pattern indicate the group has opted out rather than risk contradiction. STEP 2 — INTERVENTIONS INTERVENTION 1: The Hard Stop Exact words: "I want to pause the conversation here and change the format. For the next 4 minutes, I'm going to hear from people who haven't spoken yet — one observation each, no responses until everyone has shared." Duration: 5 minutes Mechanism: Pattern interruption — breaks the established turn-taking norm and redistributes conversational authority without naming the dominant speakers Green signal: Others begin making eye contact with you and each other rather than deferring to the two directors Red signal: The two directors begin commenting after each person speaks — move to Intervention 2 INTERVENTION 2: The Written Anchor Exact words: "Before we continue, I'd like everyone to write down one thing they believe is true about this budget situation that hasn't been said yet. Just one sentence. You have 90 seconds." Duration: 3 minutes Mechanism: Cognitive load redistribution — externalises thinking so that less assertive participants can formulate a position without the real-time pressure of speaking Green signal: People are writing; the room is quiet and focused Red signal: People look to the directors before writing — move to Intervention 3 INTERVENTION 3: The Forced Choice Exact words: "I'm going to read out three positions on this reallocation. I want each of you to tell me which one is closest to your view. There's no wrong answer — I'm mapping the room, not building consensus." Duration: 4 minutes Mechanism: Permission structure — frames participation as information-gathering rather than debate, lowering the social cost of disagreeing with the dominant view Green signal: Responses distribute across the three positions Red signal: All responses cluster around the directors' position — the group has reached the limit of what this session can unlock today; note it and close