Holy Batman I Have Been Delphi’d

Where Did The Delphi Technique Come From?

The Rand Corporation in the early 1960’s developed the Delphi technique for the purpose of manuevering segments of the public into accepting predetermined government policies. In the 1970’s and ‘80’s, it was used to convince land owners of the merits of accepting general land use planning maps. It is now being employed by the city and local groups working with the city in order to engineer “citizen consent.”

In order for Delphi to work, it is critical that the targeted group (you) be kept away from the knowledgeable people who could lead them away from the Delphier’s predertermined outcome.

The Goal

“The goal of the Delphi Technique is to lead a targeted

group of people to a predetermined outcome, while

giving the illusion of taking public input and under the

pretext of being accountable to the public

How Do I Know if I am being Delphi’d?

If you are invited to a visioning/consensus session - You WILL be Delphi’dIf you walk into a room and you are handed a comment card - You ARE being Delphi’dIf you are asked to draw a table number or told where to sit- You ARE being Delphi’dIf the room is filled with employees of companies that have a vested interest in the outcome - You ARE being Delphi’dIf you arrive at a meeting and no one is there - You WERE Delphi’dIf you have been given crayons and paper to play games - You ARE being Delhpi’dIf audience participation is suppressed - you are asked to write down your questions for later, Q&A at end of session when many people and the press have left - You ARE being Delphi’dIf you get a survey at home or if you are asked to fill out a survey during a meeting - You ARE being Delphi’dIf your community is involved in a growth plan - YOU ARE BEING DELPHI’D

Psychology of Delphi

The outcome has already been determined. But you can stop them in their tracksThey do not want your opinionThey are not your friends. They are truly the enemy.

Before Every Meeting Always remember this is war and you would never enter into battle without a strategic plan and plenty of ammoBe prepared (face to face meeting, no your team mates, create questions you need to have answered and provide a copy to all members of the committeeIdentify the “Speakers” and the “Supporters” and make sure they understand their role.Review your tactics and educate new members that are not familiar with the Delphi TechniqueThe team must be committed to this effort or you will be Delphi’d for sure.RSVP to the meeting invitationCreate teams of two to sit together if round tables are used, instruct the team on the diamond formation if theatre seating.Create a telephone chain list - delegate a person to kick off the chainPlan a meeting place to debriefBe sure you have someone that can tape the event/meetingThink about this as a necessary evil to save your very life

As You Enter the Meeting

Do not sign in, if you must use a fake name and nothing elseDo not wear a name tagCase the joint and kick off the phone chain - let people know what to expectKeep an eye out for your partner if they are not with you Do not allow them to tell you where to sit Make sure your partner knows where you are sitting

During the Meeting

Based on the environment be sure you know which strategy to kick into gear.They will do everything to suppress open dialogue. WE must control the conversation. If the opportunity to speak is not given you must TAKE the opportunity.Do not let on that you and your partner know each otherGet to know EVERYONE at your table - Why are you here? Have you ever been to this type of meeting before? Where do you live? What is your profession? Do you know what is going on here? ID the shills and people with a vested interest in the plan.You must establish who belongs and who does not, who has a conflict of interest and before the meeting begins demand these people be excluded from feedback. This is a position you will have to fight for. They plant shills in the audience to slant the results their way. Never ask questions at the table - questions must always be asked so the entire room can hear - you want to plant seeds with the other participants

During The Meeting

They may conduct meetings in breakout rooms. They might move people around to different tables. Watch and observe. You will see people that you thought were participants take a facilitator role at the next table.When they use terminology ask for clarification. EX: Smart Growth, what is it, how do you accomplish it, Social Justice, Green Space, Open Space,Remain calm at all times. Never get angry or rude. Do not talk down to the facilitator. They want to get you angry then they appear as the victim.Remain focused - use your list of questionsRemain persistent - if they can’t intimidate you they will go on a long monologue. When they are done direct them back to your question

During The Meeting

This is when the supporter does their part. When you bring up a point or ask a question the supporters should clap and voice agreement. When shills are trying to get your “speaker” to “shut up and sit down” you let them know “you” wish to hear the answer. Lean over to the person next to you or the others at the table and say “that’s not right” “they should answer the questions”, “I would really like to hear the answer to that question”.Remember this meeting is just an exercise. They are not interested in your opinion. The goal of the facilitator is to make the others like the, and to alienate anyone who might pose a threat to the realization of their agenda.

After The Meeting

It is important to meet for a short period of time after the meeting to debrief. What went wrong. What went right.Suggestions for adjusting your plan