Workshop Tactics is a curated list of the best agile and design-thinking workshop techniques to help you lead your product team. It provides a variety of facilitation activities that can be used independently or combined to create sessions. Written by design consultant and Pip Decks founder, Charles Burdett, this resource aims to guide you through the design process. With a focus on problem-solving workshops, Workshop Tactics offers techniques such as creative ideation, root-cause analysis, and decision-making matrices. It is highly recommended by customers who have experienced the benefits of Pip Decks.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop Tactics | Introduction of curated list of workshop techniques | More efficient and effective problem-solving workshops | Increasing demand for effective team collaboration and problem-solving |
| Workshop Strategy System | Stringing multiple tactics together for longer workshops | More comprehensive and in-depth workshops | Need for more structured and comprehensive problem-solving processes |
| Goals | Emphasizing the importance of setting desired end-state | More focused and purposeful daily activities | Desire for greater clarity and direction in work |
| G.R.O.W | Creating plans to achieve specific goals | Improved goal achievement and planning processes | Desire for strategic planning and goal-oriented approach |
| Newspaper Headline | Predicting future press coverage | Enhanced future-thinking and strategic planning | Focus on future trends and potential challenges |
| Sailboat | Identifying goals, reasons, and obstacles | Better understanding of goals and obstacles to overcome | Focus on goal-setting and problem-solving |
| Sticky Steps | Working backwards from a goal to create a clear path | Improved goal-setting and planning processes | Focus on goal clarity and actionable steps |
| Understand | Unpacking problems and gaining insights | Enhanced problem-solving and critical thinking skills | Emphasis on analytical thinking and problem-solving |
| Assumption Collecting | Collecting project-related assumptions | More informed decision-making process | Need for data-driven decision-making |
| Prototype Persona | Predicting user personas for testing | Improved user-centered design and testing | Focus on user research and testing |
| Roles and Responsibilities | Better understanding of team roles and responsibilities | Improved team collaboration and efficiency | Desire for clear and effective team dynamics |
| Skills Market | Sharing and understanding team skills and ambitions | Enhanced team development and growth opportunities | Focus on individual and team growth |
| Five Whys | Asking “Why?” to identify root causes | Improved problem-solving and root cause analysis | Emphasis on finding underlying issues and solutions |
| Frame | Articulating problems or experiments clearly | More effective problem-solving and experimentation | Focus on problem definition and experimentation |
| Problem Statement | Capturing project goals and problems | Improved project planning and execution | Need for clear project objectives and problem understanding |
| Hypothesis Statement | Treating assumptions as testable hypotheses | More rigorous experimentation and testing | Focus on hypothesis-driven approach |
| Value Proposition | Clearly articulating product/service benefits | Improved communication and marketing strategies | Emphasis on value proposition and differentiation |
| Ideas | Encouraging idea generation and refinement | More innovative and refined solutions | Desire for creativity and problem-solving |
| Mind Map | Visualizing interconnected thoughts for idea generation | Enhanced brainstorming and idea organization | Focus on visual thinking and idea exploration |
| Storyboard | Sequencing and understanding ideas through visuals | Improved idea visualization and communication | Emphasis on user-centered design and prototyping |
| Evaluate | Assessing problems or ideas against criteria | More informed decision-making and problem analysis | Focus on critical evaluation and decision-making |
| Premortem | Identifying potential problems and planning prevention | Improved risk management and planning processes | Focus on proactive problem-solving |
| Rose, Thorn, Bud | Evaluating positives, negatives, and opportunities | Enhanced evaluation and feedback processes | Desire for balanced and comprehensive evaluation |
| Heart, Head, Hand | Evaluating usefulness, emotional resonance, and business value | Improved evaluation criteria and decision-making | Focus on holistic evaluation and decision-making |
| Decide | Prioritizing ideas based on needs and goals | More efficient decision-making and resource allocation | Desire for effective decision-making processes |
| Discuss | Facilitating productive team discussions | Enhanced communication and collaboration | Focus on effective team communication and alignment |
| Democratic Discussion | Building discussion agenda together | More inclusive and collaborative discussions | Emphasis on participatory decision-making |
| Three Little Pigs | Reflecting on strengths and improvement areas | Improved self-reflection and continuous improvement | Focus on learning and growth mindset |
| Technique | Core techniques for successful workshops | Enhanced facilitation and workshop effectiveness | Desire for effective facilitation and workshop outcomes |
| Session Principles | Creating principles for meetings/workshops | More productive and engaged group dynamics | Focus on effective meeting and workshop facilitation |
| Ice Breakers | Warming up the room for better participation | More inclusive and collaborative sessions | Desire for improved participant engagement and contribution |