Facilitation

Deep Democracy (Lewis Method)

The Lewis Method of Deep Democracy is a facilitation approach for decisions and conflict that treats minority and unspoken views as information the whole group needs. Developed by Myrna and Greg Lewis in post-apartheid South Africa, it adds the wisdom of the minority to majority decisions to reduce hidden resistance.

5 phasesFacilitation

When to Use This Framework

When a few voices dominate or quieter people don't contribute

Your group discussions aren't balanced, you need better ways to include everyone, or conversations go in circles.

When a group risks saying yes while acting no, when there is visible or suspected conflict, or when minority views tend to be ignored.

The 5 Steps

Follow this sequence to apply Deep Democracy (Lewis Method)

Gather all perspectives

Invite every view on the issue, including ones that oppose your own or the majority's.

Make it safe to say no

Actively look for the alternative voice by asking whether anyone thinks differently. Make dissent easy to voice.

Spread the alternative view

Ask who shares the minority view, even partly, so it is no longer held by one person alone.

Add the wisdom of the minority

After a majority vote, ask the minority what they need to go along with the decision and add it to the decision.

Dive into the unconscious

When the group is stuck, use deeper tools (such as a structured argument or role work) to surface what is not being said.

What You'll Achieve

Ensures every voice is heard and the group's collective intelligence is unlocked.

Use the five steps as the process for any group decision where dissent may be hidden: run the rounds, vote, then ask the minority what they need. Plan deeper conflict tools only for sessions where tension is already visible.

Practical Tips

How to get the most out of this framework

1
Use structured turn-taking to balance voices
2
Start with individual reflection before group discussion
3
Create safe spaces for minority opinions
4
Summarize and synthesize regularly

Best For

Team decisions with hidden disagreement
Organisations in conflict or change
Diverse or polarised groups
Leadership teams

Key Principles

There is wisdom in the minority view
Groups have a conscious and an unconscious layer
Resistance is information
Majority decides, minority wisdom is added

Watch Out For

The deeper conflict tools need trained facilitators; misused, they can escalate tension.
Based on Arnold Mindell's process-oriented psychology; independent research on outcomes is limited.
Assumes the group has authority to act on what it decides.

Related Frameworks

Other Facilitation frameworks you might find useful

Belbin Team RolesThe Belbin Team Roles framework identifies nine distinct behavioral clusters that contribute to effective team performance. By understanding these roles, facilitators can build balanced teams, leverage individual strengths, and mitigate potential weaknesses to enhance collaboration and achieve team objectives.

Liberating StructuresA repertoire of more than 30 simple interaction patterns, such as 1-2-4-All, Troika Consulting and 15% Solutions, that replace presentations and open discussion with structured formats where everyone contributes. Each structure is specified by five design elements: invitation, space and materials, distribution of participation, group configuration, and steps and timing.

Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono's method of 'parallel thinking' in which a whole group adopts the same mode of thinking at the same time, signalled by six coloured hats: facts, feelings, caution, benefits, creativity and process. It reduces adversarial debate because everyone looks at the issue from the same angle before switching.