Ground rules

Ground rules are a common set of agreed standards in some process, such as negotiation, mediation, psychotherapy or facilitation, that allow meaningful dialogue to proceed with the aim of minimizing conflict.

Some common ground rules in business and organisational meetings may include:

• one speaker at a time should speak
• being receptive to the views of others
• participating actively in discussions
• strive for consensus
• no side conversations
• make discussions additive
• agree that all views have equal value

In some therapeutic types of groups, the group leader (or the group itself) may adopt such ground rules as:

• use I statements; tell stories not assumptions about the world
• don't attack others; use the "when you (blank), I fell (blank)" to relate things back to your feelings and thoughts
• what is said here stays here; what is learned here leaves here
• stay in the here and now
• no belittling of others , this includes put-downs, and even the humorous variety called "zaps." (To "zap" a person often serves to discourage open and honest exchange among the whole group)
• be openminded and respectful of other's opinions
• value risk taking and openness to challenges