As workshop facilitator you need to create the content "yard sticks." Identify a few moderators, then brief them on the event goals and agenda. Teams can create more ideas and outcomes than individuals, but teams need guidance. Before your event, address the following:
Breakout scenarios. Based on the objective of the workshop, create scenarios. Include as many facts and existing observation from the "current state" so the workshop can facilitate a transition to the future state. I like to call this NOW to NEXT. It is best to create a hypothesis. Best to start with openers like "You've learned there is a ", then ask the question "What do you do to…[reverse the trend, improve contributions, or re-imagine the process that created the current challenge]"
What If scenarios. As William Gibson said "the future is already here, it is just unevenly distributed." Imagine future scenarios below, how would workshop attendees adapt? What would they need to be successful?
WHAT IF…you subscribed to solutions and paid as you goInspiration:
Experiment Sheets, taken from the Filament team. These sheets can be created as the analog or digital version. The key questions are the same.
We believe that if we try (describe proposal)
[each workshop team completes]
These individuals and groups will benefit because (benefits)
[each workshop team completes]
The team to do this experiment is
[each workshop team completes]
The first step is
[each workshop team completes]
What is the experiment name?
[each workshop team completes, but this is critical to create an emotional connection to the problem being solved]
Lessons to learn from the experiment
[each workshop team completes]
Start-Stop-Continue Sheet. This is a three column worksheet Our Project Should Start | Our Project Should Continue | Our Project Should Stop
Design effort using Crazy 8.
This is fun. Take a piece of paper, fold it four times. Unfold and it creates a grid with 8 boxes. Draw a line over the folds, then sketch 8 ideas in 8 minutes, one in each box. Sit back and be amazed.
Ad Hoc Tools
Worry Sheets. Create a place on the white board to have groups address the question: Be pessimistic: What could go wrong? Translate your concerns into a yes-no question.
Learning lists. Create a multi-segment Google or Word document that teams can complete the following
Learning #1
[your response]
Learning #2
Learning #3
Can we reach our long-terms goal with this approach?
Do we need additional work? If so, what is the recommendation?
