Questions &
Answers.

What is the ABC methodology?

Analyze-Brainstorm-Choose. Analyze means structuring the problem precisely — not the presenting symptom, but the real constraint. Brainstorm means protected divergent thinking: surfacing all viable options and red-teaming the dominant view before committing. Choose means decision-grade convergence — not polite alignment, but real commitment with named owners and timelines. Every MMG engagement draws on this framework, from a half-day facilitation to the flagship Mind Meeting.

What is the 3P Framework?

People, Process, Problem Structure. The three dimensions that must be present simultaneously for a complex challenge to be resolved. The right People means the full stakeholder village — not just the internal team, but the external actors who control real constraints. The right Process means a methodology that forces real trade-offs rather than producing polite consensus. The right Problem Structure means the group is solving the actual challenge, not the most comfortable version of it. Remove any one of the three and the engagement fails.

What is a "stakeholder village"?

The full set of external actors whose coordinated behavior is required for a strategy to succeed — not just the people who commissioned the work. In life sciences, this might be clinicians, payers, diagnostic services, hospital administrators, and patient advocates. In government, it might be multiple line offices, congressional liaisons, and external commercial partners. In not-for-profit, it might be care staff, families, government funders, and community partners. No single actor can mandate the necessary changes. The village must be in the room.

What is the Cynefin Framework and how does MMG use it?

Cynefin (developed by Dave Snowden) distinguishes four problem domains: Simple, Complicated, Complex, and Chaotic. Each requires a fundamentally different response. Simple problems have known cause-and-effect; best practice applies. Complicated problems are knowable with expertise; good analysis leads to good answers. Complex problems are unpredictable — cause-and-effect can only be understood in retrospect, and no existing playbook applies. Chaotic problems require immediate stabilizing action. MMG uses Cynefin as a diagnostic lens: the first question in any engagement is always "what kind of problem is this actually?" because applying the wrong response type guarantees the wrong outcome.

How do I know if my challenge is a good fit for MMG?

MMG's ideal structural condition: a high-stakes challenge where the answer is knowable but not executable without assembling the right village, forcing real trade-offs, and building shared ownership. If you recognize three or more of these — the challenge spans multiple organizations or functions; traditional advisory or working group approaches have failed; external actors must enable success and cannot be mandated; there's a persistent gap between what is decided and what is implemented; windows are closing — your challenge is likely a fit. If you're still unsure, the Complexity Diagnostic is designed exactly for that question.

Does MMG work in sectors outside of life sciences?

Yes. The methodology was developed in life sciences and has been applied across federal government (NOAA — four workshops across multiple line offices), not-for-profit (HIRO — pandemic recovery planning), and commercial eCommerce (Cymax — leadership alignment for a $500M growth mandate). The method transfers because the underlying structural condition is identical across sectors. MMG's work is organized by problem structure, not industry.

What's the difference between the Complexity Diagnostic and a full Mind Meeting?

The Diagnostic is one structured day designed to define the challenge precisely — producing a problem statement, stakeholder map, and strategic brief — before investing in a full multi-stakeholder engagement. It often also produces a clear answer to "do we need a Mind Meeting, or is a more focused intervention the right next step?" The Mind Meeting is a three-day intensive that convenes the full stakeholder village and produces an execution-ready strategic plan. The Diagnostic is often the right entry point when the challenge is still being scoped.

In-person or virtual?

Both options are available for all engagement types. In-person is strongly preferred for the flagship Mind Meeting: the conditions for genuine trust-building, adversarial pressure-testing, and real commitment are harder to replicate virtually. Half-day and full-day facilitation sessions work well in either format. The Complexity Diagnostic can be conducted either way. MMG is based in White Rock, British Columbia, and serves clients across Canada and the United States.

How do engagements typically begin?

A direct conversation — no intake forms, no automated sequences. MMG's model is relationship-first: genuine curiosity about the problem before any discussion of solutions. The first conversation is designed to understand whether a structural fit exists. If it does, next steps are usually a scoping call followed by either a Complexity Diagnostic or direct engagement design. Reach out to [email protected].