Focal Point Finder

Identify, evaluate, or create focal points in coordination and negotiation problems using Thomas Schelling's framework from The Strategy of Conflict.

A focal point is not the objectively best outcome. It is the outcome that everyone expects everyone else to expect — the one choice that stands out enough for mutual recognition. The authority is in the expectations themselves, not in the thing expectations attach to.

When to Use

• Multiple parties need to converge on a single choice (standard, deadline, meeting point, price, boundary, process)
• Communication is limited, ambiguous, or costly
• No formal authority can dictate the answer
• A proposal needs to "stick" without enforcement
• An existing default needs to be defended or displaced

Step 1: Map the Coordination Problem

Extract the structure of the situation by answering: