Belongings and liabilities is an train I typically facilitate with groups to take a list and drive a shared understanding of what’s working for and in opposition to the workforce. It’s additionally a wonderful technique to seize inputs from individuals who don’t usually work collectively (the place competing views could also be at play).
Regardless of the altitude, this train is tremendous easy and one thing I embody in lots of endeavors, from strategic planning workshops and idea-generation periods, to prototyping workshops.
Have one particular person personal the whiteboard (it’s most likely you if you happen to’re the facilitator), writing the phrases “belongings” and “liabilities” on the prime with a dividing line drawn vertically between them.
Subsequent, seize the contributions that others share. I wish to crowdsource objects for the belongings column first as a result of they are usually constructive and assist keep an optimistic power within the room. Ask the group for examples of issues which can be identified strengths, notable efforts or proof factors, and something that’s working or has labored up to now that the workforce may leverage or be taught from.
From there, transfer on to liabilities; the issues that may get in the best way, alternatives for progress, what to be careful for, issues that might hurt the workforce’s efforts, or issues that didn’t work earlier than. I all the time like to notice that one thing might be each an asset and a legal responsibility, and is price inspecting from that lens.
At this level, you might even see a pure 1:1 ratio throughout columns, or it’s possible you’ll not. That half isn’t as vital as getting the workforce to align on the lists laid earlier than them, and making a shared understanding for the state of the state.
Laying this basis is a superb jumping-off level for the work forward, so this is usually a helpful technique early in your workshop and even pre-workshop if you need the data earlier than you’re within the room.
This technique is attributed to my time at GoKart Labs the place the concept was cultivated and refined by a gaggle of makers (and possibly the most effective set of colleagues I’ve ever labored with ❤).
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