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“We all agree that we need a better process… but we don’t agree on what ‘better’ means.”
Sound familiar? You might just be in the Groan Zone.
If you’ve ever facilitated a brainstorming session, town hall, strategic planning, or even a daily stand-up, you’ve likely found yourself in that uncomfortable place where people seem frustrated, ideas feel scattered, and no one agrees on what comes next.
That zone—where understanding diverges before it converges—is what we call The Groan Zone. And believe it or not, it’s essential to good facilitation.
The concept of the Groan Zone was introduced by Sam Kaner and colleagues in their brilliant book The Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making (1996). It represents the middle stage of a group decision-making process, where diverse perspectives surface, but the team has not yet reached a shared understanding or solution.
Visually, it’s the “mountain in the middle” of the Diamond of Participatory Decision-Making:
Diverge – Explore multiple perspectives
Groan Zone – Confusion, disagreement, frustration
Converge – Alignment, decision-making, clarity
In this stage, communication feels tough, tensions rise, and progress seems slow. But here’s the catch: this tension is not a problem—it’s a sign you’re doing it right.
In the Groan Zone:
It’s tempting to rush through it—but when you skip the Groan Zone, you risk:
As a facilitator, your job is not to avoid the Groan Zone—but to guide the team through it. That takes:
Surprisingly, yes.
Tools like Otter.ai, Miro AI, or ChatGPT can:
While AI can’t replace the human skill of sensing group dynamics, it can support facilitators by reducing cognitive load, allowing you to focus on reading the room and staying neutral.
You’ve successfully guided your team out of the Groan Zone when:
It’s messy, emotional, and challenging—but on the other side is true collaboration. The Groan Zone is where the magic of facilitation happens—not despite the discomfort, but because of it. When handled with intention and skill, it builds trust, shared understanding, and real commitment to decisions.
“The Groan Zone is not a detour; it’s the path.”
– Sam Kaner
So the next time your group seems stuck, remember: you’re not failing—you’re facilitating.