Planning a collaborative initiative
Transforming storysharing into action through collaborative planning and fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility.
Duration: 80 minutes. Introduction: 10 minutes. Writing down anecdotes: 10 minutes. Sharing stories: 10 minutes. Planning a joint initiative: 30 minutes. Review: 10 minutes. Summary: 10 minutes, plus additional time allocated for project implementation.
Difficulty level: 1/5
Source: wzMOCnieni
Preparation
A ball of string, colored sticky notes, pens, flipchart board, marker, tables, and chairs arranged in a circle.
Instructions
Brainstorming: Begin by discussing the attributes of a fun experience, which will serve as the foundation for planning a collaborative initiative, such as an integration evening. Each participant writes down one word or phrase that they associate with fun. Afterward, they pass their cards to the person on their left.
Writing anecdotes: Each participant reads the word they received and writes two short anecdotes or stories from their life, where that word played a significant role in the context of fun. Allow 10 minutes for this task. Once the time is up, ask participants if they would like to share their stories, inviting them to read them aloud.
Planning: Invite participants to gather in a circle, either standing or sitting. Explain that this part of the exercise will focus on planning a joint event, such as an evening together. Define the frame of the task – inform the group of what they don't need to worry about, such as the availability of the venue, a gazebo, the barbecue, speakers, wood, etc. Additionally, provide the event date and time frame.
Give participants the task of filling in this predefined frame with content by proposing various elements related to organizing the event.
Creating a network: Each person who has a suggestion raises their hand. Throw the ball of yarn to the first participant. After they share their idea, write it down on the flipchart (indicating both "what" and "who"). Then, ask the person not to release the yarn but to toss it to the next person with a proposal.
The next participant shares their proposal, leaving a piece of yarn in their hand. Continue this process, adding each suggestion to the board and creating a growing, symbolic network with the yarn.
Ensure that every participant contributes an idea. The aim of this networking process is to engage everyone in developing the event plan and taking responsibility for its execution.
Once all suggestions have been collected, summarize them. Take a moment to highlight how participants have utilized their individual resources to collaboratively create a fun scenario and assume responsibility for organizing the event.
Finally, read aloud the recorded suggestions (what and who will do what) and check together if anything was overlooked.
Helpful tips
The facilitator's role is to encourage participants to recognize their individual resources and share them with the group.
Wrap-up
Remind participants that everyone brings something valuable to the group, and it’s important to avoid judging ideas—focusing instead on collectively creating them.
Emphasize that a new story about the event has been created, and now the next step is to implement the scenario. Ask how it feels to have been able to contribute an idea and when inspiration struck.
Make sure the task distribution is clear and that everyone knows their responsibilities to ensure the event is carried out successfully.
To conclude, invite the group to physically stretch the symbolic net, feeling the strength and support of the group.
Ask participants to reflect on their experiences and emotions—what does this sense of collaboration mean to them?