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What, So What, Now What? W³

What, So What, Now What? guides groups through meaningful reflection and action planning.
What Is Made Possible
  • Structured group reflection: It helps participants make sense of a shared experience by progressing through three stages:
    What? – Collecting facts and observations.
    So What? – Interpreting meaning and significance.
    Now What? – Deciding on next steps and actions.
  • Inclusive dialogue: Every voice can be heard, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered without the conversation becoming chaotic or dominated by a few.
  • Conflict-free sensemaking: The step-by-step format reduces misunderstandings and emotional reactions, making it easier to align on what happened and what to do next.
  • Coordinated action: The group moves from reflection to clear, shared commitments - turning insight into impact.
  • Adaptability: It works well after meetings, workshops, events, or any experience that calls for learning and improvement.

  • Time needed

    45 minutes 

  • Preparation

    1. Miro Board (online) or paper (F2F)
    2. Split into groups (5-7 people) - prepare the rooms online in Teams

  • How to start

    1. After a shared experience, ask, “WHAT? What happened? What did you notice, what facts or observations stood out?”
    2. Then, after all the salient observations have been collected, ask, “SO WHAT? Why is that important? What patterns or conclusions are emerging? What hypotheses can you make?”
    3. Then, after the sense making is over, ask, “NOW WHAT? What actions make sense?”
    4. Show the Ladder of Inference

  • Step-by-step and timing

    1. Describe the sequence of steps and show the Ladder of Inference. If the group is 10–12 people or smaller, conduct the debrief with the whole group. Otherwise, break the group into small groups.
    2. First stage: WHAT? Individuals work 1 min. alone, then 2–7 min. in their group. (3–8 min)
    3. Debrief with the whole group and collected. (2–3 min).
    4. Second stage: SO WHAT? People work 1 min alone, then 2–7 min. in small group. (3–8 min)
    5. Debrief with the whole group and collected. (2–5 min).
    6. Third stage: NOW WHAT? Participants work 1 min. alone, then 2–7 min. in small group. (3–8 min)
    7. Actions are shared with the whole group, discussed, and collected. Additional insights are invited. (2–10 min)

  • Hints

    1. Check with small groups to clarify appropriate answers to each question (some groups get confused about what fits in each category) and share examples of answers with the whole group if needed
    2. Intervene quickly and clearly when someone jumps up the Ladder of Inference
    3. Make it the norm to debrief with W3, however quickly, at the end of everything

  • Examples of use

    1. Help groups reflect on a shared experience in a way that builds understanding and spurs coordinated action while avoiding unproductive conflict
    2. Build shared understanding of how people develop different perspectives, ideas, and rationales for actions and decisions
    3. Avoid repeating the same mistakes or dysfunctions over and over
    4. Make sense of complex challenges in a way that unleashes action

  • Link with other Liberating Structures

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  • Link to Liberating Structures page

    What, So What, Now What? W³

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