How do you design and run effective innovation workshops and sprints?

The best way to design and run effective innovation workshops is by having clear objectives and a good facilitator 🤓. One of the keys is turning creative clashes into success! Creative differences are common - and essential - in innovation 🧠. To turn creative clashes into success, appreciate every idea and detach it from the individual— it’s not about who suggested it, but what the idea brings to solving the unmet need 💡. The key is to set the criteria for the unmet need before diving into solutions. This helps objectively assess which idea fits best—or combine ideas for a stronger outcome 💪 . Different perspectives help spark new questions and unlock problems, so embrace the difference in ideas - it’s where innovation happens! 🚀

When defining a challenge, words matter. The way you frame a design challenge can constrain innovation. If you frame the problem statement too broad you will lack focus; too specific and you will miss the big picture. The story you set will drive your design.

As someone deeply invested in fostering innovation, I've learned that clarity is key when embarking on workshops or sprints. Before diving in, it's essential to articulate a clear and specific challenge or objective you wish to address. This not only helps focus efforts but also serves as a yardstick for measuring outcomes. Utilizing tools like problem statements, value propositions, or lean canvases can succinctly outline your challenge and goals, setting the stage for effective innovation sessions.

I believe that to design and conduct effective workshops/sprints, one should start with emergent plans, those that provide clarity on the goal horizon, as well as any changes that may occur in each action and interaction. Therefore, I consider the following points crucial for clear and efficient design: * Define clear objectives. * Gather a diverse team. * Utilize creative methods. * Encourage participation. * Implement brainstorming and prototyping. * Be agile and flexible. * Evaluate success and learn.

In my experience, it is also helpful to provide background reading on the current state of the art. This allows everyone to come into the room with at least an understanding of how things work today and gives them a starting point upon which to build.

There are two key factors in designing and facilitating a successful innovation workshop (besides the standard stuff like defining desired outcomes, creating an agenda, etc.) - research and collaboration. Presenting unbiased research related to the topic at hand can help expand participants perspectives and further educate them on the topic of focus. Defining exercises that find the right balance between collaboration/conversation and individual input is also critical. Individual exercises ensure that all participants thoughts/opinions are documented and presented (diversity of input is always a value add), while collaborative exercises allow participants to expand and align on individual perspectives.

Identify the problem you want to address. Clearly define the challenge or opportunity you want to explore through innovation. Set SMART goals. Ensure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This helps you track progress and evaluate success.

The success of innovation workshops hinges significantly on the caliber of individuals involved. Curating a diverse and multidisciplinary team ensures a rich tapestry of perspectives, skills, and experiences, fostering creativity and problem-solving. Equally important is selecting a skilled and impartial facilitator who can steer the process, manage time effectively, and nurture collaboration.

Workshops and similar public engagement events are an invaluable way to connect with others, brainstorm, validate ideas and network. Knowing the problem (challenge) you are discussing and what you expect to achieve (goal) with the event is crucial. So ask yourself: What is the challenge we are trying to address? How is this workshop going to contribute to this solution?

Ein guter Innovationsworkshop bzw. -sprint beginnen mit einer ausführlichen Auftragsklärung. Ein erfahrener Facilitator weiß um die Wichtigkeit der Auftragsklärung. 💡Was ist das Thema? 💡Was wurde schon unternommen und ausprobiert? 💡Wer ist beteiligt? 💡Welche Ziele werden verfolgt und warum? 💡Welche Erwartungen gibt es? 💡Wie wird der Erfolg des Workshops gemessen? Mithilfe dieser Fragen können Workshops dann konkret geplant werden und auf Herausforderung und Ziele angepasst werden. Ich nutze dazu auch gerne die erste Phase des Design Thinkings, um die Herausforderung auch wirklich gut zu verstehen. So kann die Auftragsklärung mit einem ersten Workshop erfolgen.

The success of innovation workshops hinges significantly on the caliber of individuals involved. Curating a diverse and multidisciplinary team ensures a rich tapestry of perspectives, skills, and experiences, fostering creativity and problem-solving. Equally important is selecting a skilled and impartial facilitator who can steer the process, manage time effectively, and nurture collaboration. Whether recruiting internally or externally, assembling the right mix of participants and facilitators is paramount to driving impactful innovation sessions.

Innovation thrives on the collision of different thoughts. A diverse group is more likely to question assumptions and explore a broader range of possibilities, leading to more creative solutions. This diversity includes not just demographic aspects like ethnicity and gender, but also cognitive diversity, which refers to different ways of thinking and processing information. A group consuming the same business books will be influenced to think similarly, but a cognitively-diverse group will tackle problems from multiple angles. A structure that encourages individual creativity, and then group conversation, will help reduce the effects of Groupthink, where the desire for consensus can dramatically limit the range of ideas and innovations.

Selecione uma equipe diversificada, incluindo pessoas com diferentes habilidades, conhecimentos e perspectivas, para fomentar a criatividade e gerar ideias inovadoras. É preciso o envolvimento de pessoas que são nevrálgicas no processo de inovação, desde os analistas até os c-levels. O encaixe entre as perspectivas contribui bastante com o workshop. Os facilitadores devem ser experientes e capazes de guiar o processo, mantendo o foco e a dinâmica do grupo.

La innovación requiere facilitación, sin duda, no caer en la perfección es importante, sin embargo rodearse de personas que puedan aportarnos desde la experiencia y conocimiento hace que incluso refresquemos nuestros aportes y los equipos se sientan muy motivados.

Choosing the right participants and facilitators is crucial for effective innovation workshops and sprints: -🌍 Select Diverse Participants: Include a multidisciplinary team to bring various perspectives, skills, and experiences. -👥 Appoint Skilled Facilitators: Choose a facilitator who is impartial, skilled in managing time, and capable of fostering collaboration. -🏢 Consider Internal and External Talent: Recruit from within or outside your organization based on your specific needs and resources.

Sobald Aufgabenstellung und Zielsetzung feststehen, wird das Team ausgewählt. Wer kann hier wirklich einen Beitrag leisten? Es geht nicht darum jene einzuladen, die schon lange dabei sind und gerade "Zeit" haben. Sondern jene, die hier verschiedene Blickwinkel einbringen, auch mal konstruktiv-kritisch hinterfragen und einen Beitrag leisten können. Auch der Einsatz externer Teilnehmender, Kunden, Stakeholder und Lieferanten bzw. Universitäten und Forschungseinrichtungen lohnt sich. Für mich wichtig ist: Den Teilnehmendenkreis auf Basis des Themas und der Zielsetzung festzulegen

When selecting participants, I believe one key factor is thinking who are all the people/ stakeholders involved in the challenge/ problem. Some challenges require experience and deep knowledge in the area (ex: technical or productive challenges), where you need the people who lead the responsible areas. And also outsider: from other areas, but also experts (start ups, scientists, etc), or even customers. And I belive one of the mail skill we need to look for in participants, are optimistic realists. A mix of people with deep critical thinking, high divergent thinking, but also a "this is challenging but achievable" mindset. Designing those groups carefully, looking for that mix, can also help.

A fantastic way to stretch the thinking is to involve practitioners from other industries. What we are, for example, struggling with in healthcare innovation has still long been solved in other industries such as finance or fmcg. Outside-in perspectives add a lot in these workshops. Today, this can of course be turbo-charged with the use of genAI.

Start with trust building regardless of topic! The collaboration will improve immediately! 10 minutes will improve productivity.

In my experience, the right team can make or break an innovation workshop. One thing I’ve found helpful is to choose participants who bring diverse perspectives and skill sets to the table. A multidisciplinary approach sparks creativity and better problem-solving. At the same time, having a skilled facilitator is key—someone impartial who can guide discussions and manage time effectively. Whether you recruit from within or outside the organization, the right mix of participants and facilitators sets the stage for success.

Innovation workshops thrive on a repertoire of methods and tools tailored to the challenge, goals, and timeframe at hand. Approaches like design thinking, lean startup methodologies, and business model canvases are widely lauded for their effectiveness in driving innovation. These tools aid in empathizing with customers, ideating solutions, prototyping concepts, and testing assumptions. Leveraging online platforms, applications, or software further enhances collaboration and creativity, especially in remote or multi-location settings.

Choosing the right methods and tools for your innovation workshop is like gearing up for an epic show. In a workshop I led to enhance UX, we kicked things off with design thinking for its impactful empathy exercises, which let us see things from our users' point of view. Then, we dove into lean startup methodologies, swiftly bringing our ideas to life and testing them, just like a tech start-up hustling to launch its first successful product. The business model canvas acted as our strategic guide, steering our decisions with clear, visual representations. By tailoring this toolkit to suit your specific needs, you can ensure that your innovation performance will be a resounding success.

Selecting the right methods and tools is key to a successful innovation workshop or sprint: -🧩 Use Proven Methods: Apply design thinking, lean startup, or business model canvas to guide your process and achieve your goals. -🌐 Leverage Online Tools: Utilize online platforms and apps for collaboration, especially for remote or distributed teams. -🚀 Support Innovation Activities: Choose tools that help with empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing to streamline your innovation efforts.

Neben den Innovationsmethoden sind für mich noch Methoden des Check-ins, der Aktivierung und des Check-outs wichtig. Sie sorgen für die passende Atmosphäre im Workshop, für eine gute und vertrauensvolle Stimmung und einen guten Start. Beispielsweise eignen ich hier Werkzeuge aus den Liberating Structures, wie Impromptu Networking, Mad Tea Party oder andere.

Post-it notes, walls, and proxemics are incredibly fun but may be limited in terms of accessibility and inclusion. By adding virtual walls powered by Miro, Mural, Lucidspark, etc., and video conferencing with virutal breakout rooms, the remote team members can join in a more accessible and inclusive setting for successful collaboration.

In my opinion, when designing and running innovation workshops and sprints, careful selection of methods and tools is fundamental. For example, for a simpler challenge, we can use techniques such as "brainstorming" and "brainwriting". For more complex challenges that require detailed analysis, methods such as "Design Thinking" or "Lean Startup" may be more appropriate. By adapting the methods and tools to our specific objective, we can maximize the effectiveness of our workshops and innovation sprints.

One thing I’ve found helpful when running an innovation sprint is selecting the right methods and tools. Depending on your goals and timeframe, frameworks like design thinking or lean startup methodology can be invaluable. For example, design thinking helps you empathize with users, while a business model canvas structures your business ideas. In my experience, using digital tools or apps to support activities—especially in remote or hybrid settings—can also enhance collaboration and ensure seamless execution.

Seleccionar los métodos y herramientas correctas hace toda la diferencia para generar mejores resultados durante los sprints. Desde mi experiencia: 1. No es necesario usar muchas metodologías. Siempre y cuando se basen en el usuario y nos permita medir esta perfecto. 2. Para definir estrategia los kanvas son ideales 3. SCRUM siempre será un gran inicio que permite adoptar practicas ágiles.

Acho muito válido usar o conceito de sprints em qualquer tipo de organização. Minha recomendação principal é buscar tem uma cadência de sprints semanais. Vejo que isso vai aumentar o ritmo das coisas, facilitar os alinhamentos e dar vazão mais rápido a temas que dependem de outras áreas. Não existe nada mais frustrante do que "esperar a próxima sprint" e ela ser 15 dias para começar a pensar no tema. Outra coisa que pode ajudar aqui, é ter uma cultura de documentação onde as pessoas escrevem melhor as futuras iniciativas e oportunidades que estão sendo exploradas, isso pode gerar ganhos de tempo e ajuda na retenção do conhecimento!

I recommend using methods and tools that are aligned with your audience. The methods are interchangeable, but you want to make sure they land smoothly in the workshop, so you can focus on content as much as possible and do not have to explain / discuss about the method.

While a well-planned agenda guides the workshop, adaptability unlocks true innovation. While experienced facilitators and consultants can pivot on the spot, a good way to practice is to prepare multiple (potential) paths for your sprint to embrace emerging insights and participant contributions, without losing focus. - Active Listening: Value participant input for valuable directions - Flexible Pivoting: Adapt to dynamic discussions, keeping core goals in sight - Anticipate and Adapt: Stay agile, maximising productivity and value

Effective planning is the cornerstone of successful innovation workshops. From setting the duration and structuring activities to coordinating materials and logistics, meticulous attention to detail is essential. Crafting a detailed agenda and checklist ensures seamless execution and alignment with objectives. Considerations such as venue, space layout, equipment, catering, transportation, and accommodation, if required, contribute to a conducive environment for innovation. By proactively addressing logistical aspects, you set the stage for a productive and engaging workshop experience.

Plan your agenda and stick to it! Timing isn't just a factor; it's the backbone. Structure your activities to maximize collaboration and creativity within the set time. Be meticulous about materials needed, and how you'll document the journey. Logistics like location, equipment, and even catering, play supporting roles but can make or break the experience. A detailed agenda isn't overkill; it's your roadmap to ensuring every aspect contributes to achieving your goals. Yes, flexibility is important but too much of it will hider progress.

Planning your agenda and logistics is essential for a smooth and effective innovation workshop or sprint: -📅 Create a Detailed Agenda: Outline the session duration, structure activities, and allocate time for each task. -🛠️ Prepare Materials and Equipment: List all materials, tools, and equipment needed, and ensure they are available. -🌍 Consider Location and Logistics: Plan the venue, space, catering, transportation, and accommodation as needed. -📋 Document and Communicate: Set up clear communication channels and documentation methods to capture results and insights.

Planning is key especially if leveraging new systems/functionality. Does the group have the right access? do you have security approval? are the required features turned on? All of these can take time and if missed could be a blocker to delivering the objective.

One thing I’ve found helpful when organizing workshops is thorough logistical planning. It’s essential to think ahead and structure your agenda carefully. Whether your session lasts a few hours or spans several days, each activity should align with your overall goals. In my experience, having a checklist of materials, equipment, and communication tools ensures everything runs smoothly. Paying attention to location, space, and even catering can elevate the experience and help participants focus on creativity and collaboration.

Design the workshop considering time for each stage of the chosen framework, including introductions, discussions, activities, breaks, and feedback sessions. Consider logistics. Choose a conducive space with necessary materials (whiteboards, markers, sticky notes, etc.). Ensure clear communication regarding access, technology support, and refreshments.

Planning the agenda in detail was crucial for running smooth and effective workshops. I always ensured each session was structured with ample time for both divergent and convergent thinking. Logistics, like choosing a room that encouraged an open and collaborative atmosphere or providing healthy snacks to keep energy up, were handled personally to ensure everything ran seamlessly, facilitating a productive environment.

Again, in person can be great, but consider the remote team members too. So, if there is a break or meal — consider an equivalent experience of meal or snacks delivery — because accommodation options have never been more plentiful than in these modern times.

Plan a strict agenda, write it down so every facilitator person involved in the organisation know about time/ flow. Always plan "extra time buffers". Visual materials help participants "structure" and make visible their own group rceative thinking process. You can design them before hand. Also, setting up a creative environment can help shift the "everyday business as ussual mindset". Objects, toys, pictures that might provoke inspiration, questions or inspirational phrases... Everything can help spark new ideas.

Executing the workshop entails orchestrating a dynamic and participatory experience while ensuring alignment with goals and methodologies. Commencing with a warm-up and introduction sets the tone and expectations for the session. Guiding participants through structured activities and exercises facilitates ideation, collaboration, and problem-solving. Encouraging feedback, reflection, and iteration fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Concluding with a summary of key findings, insights, and recommendations reinforces the value of participants' contributions. Following up with a comprehensive report, presentation, or demonstration ensures insights are captured, shared, and translated into actionable next steps.

One of the most crucial aspects of the sprint is what unfolds when the team returns to business as usual. It's vital not to let the valuable insights and ideas generated during the sprint simply fade away. To avoid this, it's imperative that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities for implementing the outcomes once they return to their regular work routines. Creating a clear action plan ensures that the sprint's efforts translate into tangible results and don't get lost in the shuffle.

Warm-ups, icebreakers, and energizers are important for getting participants into a desired mindset as well as introducing concepts. Sites like thinkfwd and sessionlab have a great collection of activities. A few of my favorites: "how to make toast", "brick game", "looking around".

Effectively running and following up on your innovation workshop or sprint is crucial for success: -🔥 Start with a Warm-Up: Set the tone and expectations with an engaging introduction to kick off the session. -🛠️ Guide the Process: Follow your agenda and utilize methods and tools to lead participants through the innovation process. -💬 Encourage Feedback and Iteration: Foster an environment of continuous feedback and improvement throughout the session. -📈 Summarize and Appreciate: Conclude with key findings, insights, and recommendations, and thank participants for their contributions. -📑 Follow Up: Share results and next steps through a report, presentation, or demo to keep stakeholders informed.

Establish FRAME early on so that the experience extends beyond the moment in time together to the future moments in time together. i.e. https://www.reforge.com/previews/product/frame-product-review

Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with your goals. For example, measure the number of unique ideas generated, user satisfaction with prototypes, or progress towards achieving the desired outcome. Determine methods for collecting and analyzing data. Use surveys, feedback forms, or direct observation to gather information and measure the impact of your workshop or sprint.

Virtual ideation sessions allow a better and faster digital recording of output and ideas. I started using AI notakers in virtual sessions: they help summarise everything that has been discussed during the virtual workshops. Follow up should be a defined stage of the process. Running ideation workshops like "processes" instead of one shot activities can help: an initial challenge framing with management/ main stakeholder/ sponsors, where you align expectations and how those ideas are going to be executed/ evaluated, given bugdet. Also a virtual kick off with participants with introduction to innovation mindset/ creative thinking, and learning before hand about the challenge they need to work on. Plus small follow up meetings.

We have a strict no-phone-no-laptops policy in place to ensure everybody is participating fully. For design sprints it is important to have everybody understand everybodies opinion and not miss details. Also this policy is somehow "rare" as every other business meeting nowadays most people hide behind laptops or send messages on their phone while missing out important information.

Running the session with energy and a focus on results was paramount. I actively engaged with participants, prompting them to dig deeper into their ideas. Following the workshop, our team made sure that all documentation was shared within 24 hours, including a summary of ideas, assigned action items, and deadlines. We scheduled follow-up meetings to review progress on action items, maintaining momentum and accountability.

Durante a execução da sessão, é fundamental manter o grupo engajado e garantir que as atividades fluam conforme planejado. Os facilitadores devem incentivar a participação ativa, manter o foco e adaptar a agenda conforme necessário, a documentação deve registrar todas as ideias e discussões importantes para referência futura e é muito importante coletar feedback ao longo da sessão para ajustar e melhorar o processo em tempo real. Após o workshop ou sprint, o acompanhamento é crucial para garantir que as ideias geradas sejam levadas adiante. Faça um relatório final documentando os resultados, elabore um plano de ação e agende reuniões de acompanhamento para monitorar o progresso e resolver quaisquer obstáculos.

In essence, effective design and execution of innovation workshops require meticulous planning, stakeholder engagement, and methodical facilitation. By integrating insights from diverse perspectives and leveraging appropriate methodologies and tools, organizations can unlock creativity, drive collaboration, and catalyze meaningful innovation.

Mi Top para lograr sprints de innovación efectivos: 1. Estrategia y OKR´s claros 2. Pulso de cultura que identifique brechas de innovación 3. Seleccionar retos y estrategia para abordarlos (intraemprendimiento, innovación abierta, startups) 4. Involucrar personas de todos los niveles organizaciones que permitan tener diferentes perspectivas de negocio 5. Tener siempre como actor principal a los clientes 6. Identificar frameworks, métodos que permitan a los equipos empoderarse de la innovación 7. Generar incentivos que hagan de la innovación algo atractivo

During an innovation sprint I led for a fast-paced startup, we utilized flexible tools like Miro for real-time collaboration to ensure that everyone's ideas were valued. In the middle of the sprint, we seamlessly transitioned, thanks to our adaptable framework, shifting from brainstorming to rapid prototyping as soon as we received new user feedback. The main lesson learned? It's important to choose methods that are as agile as your team, ready to change direction at a moment's notice for the greatest impact. This transformed a potential roadblock into a major breakthrough, showcasing the power of adaptability in innovation.

Desde mi experiencia: 1. Equipos interdisciplinarios siempre 2. Diseñar con y para el usuario 3. Mantenerse simple 4. No olvidar el foco en UX|UI

Don't forget to have fun. This will vary depending on your span of time zones, budgets, etc. but I've enjoyed these: Bar None Games (game shows), Trivvy (remote bingo), TeamBonding (super fun!), and video conference chocolate tasting parties (ymmv unless you can get the delivery logistics as referenced above)

As Jay Cuthrell highlighted, don't forget to have fun in your innovation workshops. Similarly, don't forget to give back, particularly if your participants are volunteering their time away from their normal activities. Expressing gratitude, acknowledging contribution, and granting recognition are very simple activities that will encourage future participants.

Seleccionar desde el espacio hasta las herramientas, hace la diferencia en el éxito de un taller de innovación. Mis premisas ante cualquier taller son: 1. Deja claro que todas las ideas son bienvenidas 2. El objetivo y proposito de la sesión 3. De acuerdo al momento del producto, reto escoger lienzo o método que se ajuste. 4. usar inspiración, videos, expertos etc. 5. Escuchar todas las opiniones.

Al primer punto le añadiría: siempre asegurando la participación de los interesados clave. Punto 5: Finalizar con una retrospectiva, para asegurar el aprendizaje continuo.

No quedarse solo en el taller, sesión de ideación,etc… Hay que llevarlo a la acción a través de la ejecución de experimentos y proyectos, así que algunas consideraciones: -Desde la dirección de la empresa determinar responsables y Sponsors directivos -No pedir ROI y cronograma detallado todavía (Si ya supiéramos lo que tenemos que hacer, lo haríamos, como no lo sabemos nos toca innovar) -En lo posible atar incentivos a la ejecución de esos proyectos (compensación variable, evaluación de desempeño) -Asignar equipos de alto desempeño para estos equipos (esas ovejas negras o intraemprendedores que tenemos por ahí)

An essential aspect I learned was the importance of creating a psychologically safe environment where participants felt they could freely share ideas without fear of criticism. This openness led to more innovative solutions and greater buy-in for implementing changes. Regular feedback loops were established to continually refine our approach to these workshops, ensuring they remained dynamic and adapted to our evolving needs.