Page 188 - The Design Thinking Playbook

What methods can we use as facilitators?

There are countless approaches, methods, and associated variants that can be used. In the end, we have The challenge for us as facilitators is that we pick up information
our own toolbox of methods, and must use them in a targeted way. quickly in such a setting and are forced to give room to reflection
constantly.
One possibility is visual facilitating and graphic recording. As the name suggests, the issue is to visu- Frequently, we have observed the effect that the best dialogs occur
alize information and dialog in real time and directly on site. Visualization mainly serves the purpose during coffee breaks or with an aperitif after a long and rather tedious
of transforming complexity into a structured picture. We particularly recommend this method for large workshop. The idea of open space technology as a format picks up
projects with a great need for change management and in a difficult dialog that focuses on documenting on this idea and designs the workshop per se as a free space in
the decisive turning point. which we find solutions in common. We recommend an open space
We all know the phenomenon of the most optimization potential being hidden in processes that we believe approach for the final presentations of design thinking projects, for
are running perfectly smooth. Still, we hesitate to change systems that seem to be working. instance. The visitors can explore the ideas themselves, and their
A way of thinking and acting that can help us break from our habits is appreciative inquiry. We focus on curiosity lets them approach the topics. For a structured sequence,
examining the given facts; that is, all those things that work perfectly in a system. it is advisable to organize a world café. The objective is to share
As participants in workshops, we have all taken part in world cafés, open spaces, or art of hosting events. knowledge among different groups of people. After the discussion
What all these concepts have in common is the idea of seeking dialog in a circle (the circle way). The round, the participants are moving from one table to the other, while
advantage of a circular arrangement: Participants collaborate more actively and are more inclined to take the table host facilitates the conversation with the next group. The
on a leading role with regard to a topic or argument. We recommend such a setting for all group work and, idea behind it is the same. Again, the issue is to speed up an informal
in particular, in change-intensive projects of organizational development. and nonetheless intense discussion in the small circle.
One method that allows us to proceed in a way more driven by impulse than linearly is dynamic facilitation.
This approach consciously appreciates mental leaps on the part of the participants, which are noted down
ad hoc in lists.

Usually, documentation is done in four lists with the thematic blocks of:

1. Questions and challenges
2. Initial ideas and solutions WELCOME TO THE
3. Concerns and objections WORLD CAFÉ!
4. Information and points of view

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