How to scope your next collaborative innovation session

I’m currently scoping three upcoming workshops and want to take you through the kinds of questions I ask myself and my client. Of course you need to know the date, time, location and duration of the session, but beyond that?

General
First, it’s useful to get the big picture by asking,

• what’s it about, in a nutshell?

Participants
Next get a sense of the participants:

• how many and what types of participants?

• how well do participants know each other, if at all?

• what’s their experience with structured workshops—do they do this frequently or will this be their first time? (you can adapt this question for online sessions and tools)

• what are the motivations of the different participants? are there some ‘key players’, deciders, or participants from high-level leadership roles?

Expectations/Objectives
There may be some ‘main’ objectives, but also look out for potential ‘hidden’ objectives. These are things that you think the client wants, but perhaps isn’t saying.

• what are the main things the client wants to get out of the session?

• if the client (or you) need help thinking through the expectations, you can break it down:

  • what is the best outcome you’d hope for by the end of the meeting?

  • what are the business objectives that the meeting serves?

  • if the meeting is very successful, what positive changes will be noticeable?

  • if this meeting is a step in a larger process, what’s that larger goal?

  • finally, are there any other ways this meeting could provide value?

• what are other types of things the client seems to want but isn’t saying?

Red flags
As you go through these questions, pay attention to anything that might be a ‘red flag.’ These are things that could cause trouble in the session. For example, there might be one participant who is very resistant, or maybe some seemingly key participants aren’t included. Perhaps there are some interpersonal challenges. In addition to what you perceive, you can also ask directly.

• are there any red flags we should be aware of?

Venue
If it’s an in-person session, I like to ask some detailed questions about the venue and people’s familiarity with it. In London I usually assume that people will be about 10 minutes late, but for trickier venues I might allow even more late time. The best way to answer venue questions is to go to the venue and have a look. If that isn’t possible, photos and/or video are really helpful.

• what’s the venue like? has the client been there? (sometimes they haven’t)

• can we move tables and chairs around?

• is there wall space for sticky notes (or white boards or other surfaces)?

• how much floor space is available (around the tables/chairs)? you might want to use this for some activities

• what’s the neighbourhood like, for walking breaks?

• is there a white board or flip chart we can write on? a digital projector to put up slides with instructions, prompts, etc.

• will there be refreshments and where will they be located?

Deliverables
What will we deliver to the client when the session is over and what’s the preferred timeline? The client may want a written report (for example a summary of the retrospective, transcription of the sticky notes, or a recreation of an impact/effort matrix), but there are other forms of deliverable (with appropriate management of privacy).

• what types of deliverables:

  • written? what format is acceptable?

  • visual? if so, what file types?

  • audio? format?

• when are deliverables expected?

That’s a scope-wrap
The list above isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a good starting point. Let me know in the comments if you have any key additions.