indication of Jines of inquiry or courses of action that have been suggested or explored, as well as arguments on both si,des of the jgsuc. Once all of these arc clear, the member s can utilize a structnrc for the discussion of the item or problem, specially if it is goi. ng to be long or complex. (d) Using a logical order for the discussion of a problem or an issue. This includes: (1) identifying what seems to be the trouble; (2) gathering..incl anal. y. dng lbe pertinent or relevant background/facts in order to determine how things stand al lhe monumt; (3) diagnosing the problem based on estnblished facts; and, (4) choosing a course of action derived from a number or well thought-out, col1ere11t, and sensible options. In following th. is s. tructure, the cl1<1irma11 should listen carefully in case members jump too far ahead (e. g., start suggesti ng a course of action before the grottp has ag1·eed on the cause/s or the p,·oblem), or start re11eating points that have been made t!arlier. The chairman bas to end discussion of irrelevan t topics or sterile areas (e. g., the rights and wrongs of past decisions or actions that 11re too late to change, or distant possibilities that are too remote to affect present aclions). (a) Preventing misunderstanding and confusion. The chairman's responsibilicy on this aspect can be done through: (1) seeking clarification from the speaker if she does not follow an argument or understand a reference; (2) asking people for facts or e. "q)erience that perhaps influence their view but are not know11 to others in the meeting ; and (3) making an interin1 summary to help some members who are getting out of their depth_ (b) Discussing a draft document. The group should never redraft the document during the meeting. If there are faults in it. the members sbo\lld agree on what the faults are and the c11airman should delegate someone or a small group to produce a new draft later. (c) Terminating the discussion ea. rly enough. Once the group has effectively reached an agreement, the chairman should terminate the discussion on the item before it goes nowhere at all. The chairman should also tenninate the discussion if: (1) the members need more time to think about the topic and possibly discuss it with colleagues; (2) the discussion has revealed that views of people not present during the meeting 125 