5 Grounding the Idea – Hosting Transformation

Empathic Interview

In order to really understand a situation including the thoughts, needs, problems and hopes of the people you are innovating for, one of the easiest and most direct ways is to talk to them. Empathic interviews are a gentle and effective way to do that.

Open Sentences

“Open Sentences” is an easy-to-lead interactive process in pairs. It is a structure for spontaneous expression and attentive listening. The Open Sentences Process helps explore a topic and often brings to light surprising thoughts, feelings, and new ideas.

Soft Shoe Shuffle

Soft shoe shuffle is a group conversation in motion. It is an effective and energizing method for -sharing insights or discussing controversial topics in a group, -for group decision making -and to bring a fresh wind into encrusted conversation habits.

Dare to Ask

This method is about opening up and daring to ask any kind of questions concerning your project/enterprise. You present your “problem” and your audience will bombard you with solutions on post-its.

Perspective Carousel

This fun and contemplative ideation technique helps generate ideas with depth. The Perspective Carousel is a holistic ideation approach that uses the power of constellation work, role play, and intuition to generate ideas from very different points of view.

Backcasting

Backcasting is an approach to planning innovation that is based on moving backwards from the vision to the present to explore its feasibility and implications. It can be done as a participatory process but it can also be used by an individual.

Osborn’s Checklist

A classic, effective ideation technique, best used if you already have something to build on: a situation, product, process you want to change or improve. The 62 questions in 9 clusters help you rethink what you took for granted and find better solutions.

Project Tree

The project tree is a method to structure an innovation project, get a good overview and clarify it on all levels. Visualized in the analogy of a tree, the questions “why” and “how” navigate you through the different levels of your project, from very basic assumptions to nitty-gritty action steps. It is a good tool to move smoothly from dreaming into planning.