Get Everybody Together

At our problem-solving camps, all the experts and people who are needed come together for 2 or 3 days to work intensively on problems. They work e.g. on an aligned working program for the following year, a technical solution which requires different expertise, finding a solution for how to react to a technical disruption in the market or developing a program for the fast integration of a new business unit.

Work starts before the workshop begins: everybody gets specific tasks and templates for the preparation of analyses and input. The workshop itself is run in a good work environment, with all the features needed for creative and efficient work, backup at the office and access to necessary data as well as documents. The first step in the meeting is assuring a common understanding of the target, the big picture and the context of the problem. Then people start working on concrete solutions in smaller groups – either in mixed groups or with people from their own departments/teams. After each round in the sub-groups (typically 3), the market place method assures alignment: results are shown to everybody and management, colleagues or stakeholders give feedback as well as input. This way, targets are immediately adjusted and work is aligned and focused on real needs.

Our ABC workshop is an example of a specific format for solving complex problems with all the relevant experts involved.

An Aligned and Committed Result

Compared to the standard way of working, the outcome is often remarkable: a ready- to-execute solution, understood, agreed and supported by all relevant people. And it comes along with a much better and deeper understanding of the needs and requirements of teams or departments. Furthermore, it creates new links and networks in the organization – a solid basis for more efficient work in the future.