In this Live Session, we run through Sailboat from Workshop Tactics.
ℹ️ Skip to key parts of the session by clicking on the chapter dots along the timeline.
👉 View the Miro board for this session
ℹ️ Skip to key parts of the session by clicking on the chapter dots along the timeline.
👉 View the Miro board for this session
Session highlights
- Sailboat is good for getting consensus on a goal, but most importantly finding the obstacle that is stopping you from getting there.
- Reverse Brainstorm is a good ideation tactic for 'non-creative’ people, as it shows them they how easily they can come up with ideas.
- Evaluation tactics are most useful at finding what could go wrong with an idea or problem.
- The power of Sailboat is in the use of story and metaphor to help extract information. The story of the boat, island, wind and rocks helps visualise the significance of goals, drivers and barriers. Nothing is stopping you from inventing your own metaphor!
- Zoom burnout might make people come to a workshop with low-energy. Set the expectation so people come with excitement instead of dread.
- Body language is vital to how we communicate, and it's largely lost with remote calls.
- When I run workshops, I accept this fact and instead focus on an anchor such as a Miro board or shared document. Seeing other's cursors and activity creates a sense of physicality that Zoom does not.
- The best way to gain confidence and experience running workshops, is to run them. I plan to open up more Live Sessions to others who would like to practice facilitating in a safe-space.
- In a team environment, get people to speak up by asking people directly instead of asking the group.
- If awkward silences are prevalent in your sessions, set the expectation that silence means "no". It pushes people to make their point or be affirmative if the default stance is to disagree.
- One of the most important expectations to set is that you will interrupt tangential conversation and move it to the Parking Lot. It gives you permission as a facilitator to keep the conversation on track.
- The super power to getting a response is to ask people to write down their answer on a sticky note. This is true in remote workshops, and in person.
One of the few newsletters I look forward to.
- Dave Cunningham, Head of DesignOps @ NHS
