Once the list has been narrowed down, dig deeper into each option and identify the following:

• The effort for each option (perhaps on a scale of one to ten)
• The payback for each option (also on a scale of one to ten)
• Your estimation as to its likelihood of success
• Other options that could be used to complement it
• Each party’s preference for it (expressed as yes/no, or a percentage in favor)

At this point, we are still gathering information and exploring options, so try to make the list as long as possible. For simple conflicts, three to five options is usually sufficient, but with more complex issues, five to eight options may be necessary. If the team involves more than two people, you will likely need eight to twelve options.