top of page

Do It Yourself! 

Event Outline

  • Mingle Time

    • Goal: give people free time to connect, share stories, and get into a collaborative and open mindset​

    • Activity ideas

      • Photo booth

      • People bingo

      • Snacks

      • Free association mapping

  • Think Wrong Blitz​

    • Free Association​

    • Deflection Point

    • Challenge the Challenge

    • Random Word Drill

    • MacGyver

    • Do it on Monday

    • The Big Yes!

Activities

The following resources come from my process and are inspired by the Think Wrong book.

Deflection Point

For exploring the difference you could make.  For helping people get away from the status quo and realize there are other options.

​

You'll need: empty wall or floor area, sharpies, post-its, blue tape

​

Steps:

  1. Introduce step by step

  2. Picture the line of this problem: what if nothing changes?

  3. Picture the departure from how things are to how they might or should be

  4. Finding connections: how might we move toward the predictable path? Categorize post-its from each path to explore how you might move from predictable methods to bold methods

​

Challenge the Challenge

For getting people to rephrase their prompt by exploring multiple entry points to a problem/solution.

​

You'll need: Challenge statement poster, sharpies, post-its, blue tape

​

Steps:

  1. Give people challenge statement posters to mark up

  2. Encourage people to either edit here and there or throw it out and start over

Free Associating

For opening the mind to all kinds of connections and breaking away from the challenge statement to introduce randomness to problem solving.

​

You'll need: Sharpies, posters with word prompts

​

Steps:

  1. Give each person a sharpie and have them make any connections they have to the words at the center of each poster

  2. Encourage people to build off of other connections

Random Word Drill

To defy convention by adding an odd factor and get people in a mindset of possibility.  For getting a word to build solutions from.  Let go and get into the generative flow!

​

You'll need: Sharpies, post-its, blue tape

​

Steps:

  1. Run free association drill

  2. Have people write two striking words from mind maps on the sticky side of post-it notes and post them to a main board

  3. Have one person from each group picks two post-its from the board

  4. Groups brainstorm solutions to challenge statement based on word sparks

  5. Share favorite ideas with the whole group

MacGyver Drill

For getting people to move from ideas to action by narrowing down possibilities of solutions using three resources and building a quick, playful prototype and considering a starting place within given constraints.

​

You'll need: various art supplies, scissors, tape, glue, etc...

​

Steps:

  1. Have each group choose three materials

  2. Build a prototype (or some kind of visual representation) of their favorite idea from the random word drill

The Big Yes!

For getting groups to offer input and feedback on one another's ideas

​

You'll need: The Big Yes poster, sharpies, blue tape, post-its, green dots

​

Steps:

  1. Have each group write their idea on the top of the poster and give it to another group

  2. Groups rotate to one another's posters and fill in the "Yes, and..." boxes one at a time

  3. Each statement must build off of the previous "Yes, and..." statement

Do it on Monday

For thinking small about how the solution starts and to "de-risk" taking action.

​

You'll need: Do it on Monday poster, sharpies, post-its, blue tape

​

Steps:

  1. Identify 3 big questions that need to be addressed right away

  2. Identify and fill in poster with: 3 resources, 2 colleagues, 5 days, and $50

bottom of page