Discovery and Action Dialogue

Purpose

Discovery and Action Dialogue (DAD) uncovers solutions that already exist within a community by identifying positive deviants — people who succeed against the odds using available resources. Rather than importing external best practices, it amplifies what local people are already doing right. Use it when a persistent problem seems intractable but some individuals or teams are quietly solving it.

At a glance

• Group size: 8–40 people
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Facilitation style: Semi-structured
• Setting: Indoor / Remote-friendly

How to run

1. Frame the challenge (5 min): State the problem clearly. Ask: "How do you know when [the problem] is present? How do you contribute to it?"
2. Discover positive deviants (15 min): Ask: "Is there anyone who has found a way to deal with this successfully?" Explore what they do differently. Use follow-up questions to make the practices concrete.
3. Identify actionable practices (10 min): From the discoveries, list specific behaviours or practices that others could adopt.
4. Design action steps (10 min): Small groups develop plans to try the discovered practices. Include who, what, when, and how they'll know it worked.

Materials needed

• Seven structured DAD questions (printed or displayed)
• Flip chart for capturing discoveries
• Sticky notes
• Timer

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Importing solutions from outside instead of finding them within — the method's power is in local discovery.
• Asking "why" questions that trigger defensiveness — stick to "how" and "what" questions.
• Not following up — DAD creates momentum that dies without structured follow-through.

Inclusion & accessibility

• The method values frontline voices, often the most marginalised in traditional hierarchies.
• Create psychological safety for people to share unconventional practices without fear of judgement.
• Use inclusive language and provide translation support in multilingual settings.

Variations

• DAD + Simple Ethnography: Before the dialogue, observe positive deviants in action.
• Serial DADs: Run multiple dialogues across different units to cross-pollinate discoveries.
• Virtual DAD: Use video interviews with positive deviants as stimulus material.

When NOT to use this

Avoid DAD when no one in the system has found even partial solutions — in that case, the group genuinely needs external expertise. Also not suitable for problems requiring regulatory or structural change beyond individual behaviour.

Source & further reading

Developed by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless as part of Liberating Structures, building on the Positive Deviance approach of Jerry and Monique Sternin. See liberatingstructures.com.