Tree of InfluenceTiming templates
How long each step takes for small, medium, and large groups.
This page gives a starting agenda for each group size. The step pages explain what happens in each step; the times here add them up.
How long each step takes may change with group size. Even in a small, fast group, every step happens, however briefly.
Small group: 3 to 7 participants
About 60 to 90 minutes.
| Step | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare | 15-30 min, before | Facilitator only |
| Seed | 10-20 min | High energy, fast contributions |
| Group | 5-10 min | Small boards de-duplicate fast |
| Connect | 15-25 min | Takes longer than it looks |
| Prioritize | 10-15 min | Dot voting or verbal agreement |
| Decompose | 20-30 min | 1 or 2 deep dives, as one group |
| Close | 5-10 min | Read back, save, agree on next steps |
A first session with a group new to the technique usually skips Decompose and fits in 60 to 90 minutes. See the Quick Start.
Medium group: 8 to 15 participants
About 2 to 2.5 hours.
| Step | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare | Before the session | Facilitator only |
| Seed | 20-30 min | More nodes; allow extra time |
| Group | 10-15 min | More duplicates and some merge decisions |
| Connect | 20-30 min | Pairs may draw a first pass of arrows |
| Break | 10 min | Between Connect and Prioritize |
| Prioritize | 15-20 min | Leave time to discuss the results |
| Decompose | 30-40 min | 2 or 3 deep dives, subgroups of 3 or 4 in parallel |
| Close | 5-10 min | Don't sacrifice this step if running out of time |
Large group: 16 to 30 participants
About 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
| Step | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare | Before the session | Pre-seeding matters most at this size |
| Seed | 30-40 min | Expect 50 to 80 nodes or more |
| Group | 15-20 min | Small groups each cluster one area |
| Connect | 30-40 min | The full group for major arrows, then subgroups for their areas |
| Break | 15 min | Required at this size |
| Prioritize | 20-30 min | Dot voting, then discussion of the top results |
| Decompose | 45-60 min | 3 to 5 subgroups in parallel |
| Close | 5-10 min | Don't sacrifice this step if running out of time |
If energy is a concern, split the session in 2, as for groups of more than 30.
More than 30 participants
Split the work across 2 or more sessions. In the first, you may run Seed and Group. Between sessions, the facilitator tidies the board: stacks remaining duplicates, labels clusters, and checks the parking lot. In the second, run Connect and Prioritize. Decompose may happen in subgroups afterwards. See planning a session.
Adjusting on the day
- Read the room. A highly aligned group can compress time, but a group with deep disagreements needs more time overall.
- Add buffer for transitions. Moving from one step to the next takes a few minutes each time.
- When the session runs late, shorten Decompose, not Close.
Example
The renewals session had 12 participants and followed the medium template:
| Step | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | 20-30 min | 25 min |
| Group | 10-15 min | 15 min |
| Connect | 20-30 min | 30 min |
| Break | 10 min | 10 min |
| Prioritize | 15-20 min | 20 min |
| Decompose | 30-40 min | 35 min |
| Close | 5-10 min | 10 min |
Connect ran to its limit because of the loop the group had to untangle. Decompose was too short for the engineering subgroup, so the outages node got its own deep-dive session a week later.