Workshop methods that can be applied to meetings so we can be more intentional about how the diverse voices in the room are heard and represented.

How a Strategic Planning & Roadmapping Session helped an essential program adapt and evolve in a very short amount of time to support the growth of the business.

When each of us thrive, we all thrive, and from this spirit my Sprint For Good program was born. The program is a way to bring deserving organizations and missions a chance to meaningfully move their business, product and/or service forward. That includes the opportunity to participate in full-blown Design Sprints, Strategic Planning Sessions, and more.

I’ve curated a list of 3 principles that will help you nail the facilitation of customer interviews, manage different personalities, and extract the quality feedback you need to move your product or business idea forward. When we share insights with each other, we all benefit! And it all starts with a proven process.

Whether you’re leading an hourlong workshop or a five-day Design Sprint, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from feeling emotionally drained and completely exhausted. My hope in sharing these 3 steps — which are my own learnings that I practice every day— is that they save you from feeling burnt out and get you back to the things you love.

Testing is arguably one of the most critical parts of the Design Sprint process. If you’re running a remote process, here’s a straightforward and streamlined way to stay organized and collect this key feedback from testers.

Jackie believes in service. She has been volunteering for most of her life and has worked with organizations in the Twin Cites such as Amicus (Prisoner mentorship program), Free Arts Minnesota, and as a hospice volunteer. When she started her business, she committed to giving back to help her community thrive. Each year, she offers her services pro bono.

The ways in which we collaborate have changed a lot as a result of the pandemic. More virtual meetings, more screen time, more A/V issues, and way more sneak peeks into our colleagues’ lives. While it’s certainly not a perfect reality, certain aspects of shifting to a remote model have resulted in a lot of positive outcomes for facilitator. Here are 4 examples.

Your job as a facilitator isn’t to show off with your knowledge of the business; it’s to drive people through a process that lands on a desired outcome. A few learnings have completely transformed the way I facilitate today.

I am often asked to have coffee with people who are thinking about starting their own thing. They want to go solo, fly free, run their own show. Sometimes they are interested in focusing on Design Sprints, but often they are interested in something adjacent: digital strategy, digital transformation, product leadership, brand strategy, etc. Here’s my advice.

Design Sprints are a great way to test ideas before you invest a ton of time and money in building them out. You could certainly make something up without understanding your customer but you’ll get more out of your Sprint if you know a little something about the people you aim to help before you start.

The Job Story method takes the team deeper into the needs of the people we are solving a problem for. This means they are more likely to create a solution that meets those needs and as a result, make something people value.