When it comes to collaborative sessions, a little planning goes a long way. Choosing an activity that matches the purpose of your session leads to better productivity and outcomes, and often means more fun for participants too.
One of my favorite things to do is create a new, custom activity that perfectly matches the challenge or opportunity, as well as the skills and dynamic of the group. When I try something I’ve never done before, I often find I’m mixing and matching from my existing toolkit. Anyone can do it, if you just have a few facilitation frameworks up your sleeve. Here are some of the basics to play with for your next ideation or planning session—a recipe for collaboration, if you will:
| GROUPING | ACTION | CANVAS | TECHNIQUES |
| Individual Pairs Small Group Large Group All |
Write Sketch Discuss Present Evaluate |
Sticky notes Index cards Whiteboard Flip charts Worksheet |
Round Robin Converge-Diverge Sprint Improv Mapping |
For example, let’s pretend a group wants to design a brand new experience for loyal customers. Their collaboration session might look like this:
Individuals sketch out ideas on sticky notes in a 15-minute sprint. Then, the full group gets back together to present and discuss their favorite ideas.
The above table isn’t all inclusive, but you get the idea. There is also often a custom piece that isn’t part of this “recipe,” like a unique prompt or special supplies. This is where your invention comes in! It’s okay to be playful or get out of comfort zones.
When I try something especially novel (a.k.a. something that I’m not sure how it will work) I usually just tell the group in advance. This often helps people let loose and not worry about doing it right. After all, there’s no right or wrong when you’re just trying something out for the first time.
While fun, reinventing the wheel isn’t always necessary. There are a ton of sites out there that offer great toolkits for all kinds of sessions. Some of my favorite, go-to resources for collaboration activities and inspiration:
- IDEO’s Design Kit: http://www.designkit.org/resources
- Hyper Island Toolkit: http://toolbox.hyperisland.com/
- Service Design Tools: http://www.servicedesigntools.org/
- Mind Tools: https://www.mindtools.com/