Generate Options
Generate options to:
- Define new services, courses, products
- Select new technologies
- Focus skills development
- Develop new strategies
In this stage options are generated for each of the identified scenarios. The team involved in the scenario planning activity can, depending on the scope of the project, identify new and innovative services, technologies, markets, partnerships or processes that can be applied to the scenarios.
There are a number of activities that can help support this exercise, the News Headlines activity can be an ideal way to stimulate ideas and think about the issues involved and the potential influences and impacts.
One useful technique to help you map the options generated and move into testing their feasibility is to use the COCD Ideas Matrix, named after the Belgian foundation who created it (Centrum voor de Ontwikkeling van het Creatief Denken).
Ideas are classified as follows:
Blue ideas. Normal ideas, standard procedures - these don't require a separate workshop/activity to come up with these.
Red ideas. Original, innovative but realistic in ambition.
Yellow ideas. Very creative and inventive but not yet feasible.
This method is very similar to the Boston Matrix approach, which can be used as an alternative.
Activity Plan
- After a short introduction to the scenarios and activites based around 'living in the scenarios', break into four groups.
- Each group works with only one scenario in a 'mini-workshop'.
- Brainstorm the essentials of the scenario.
- Generate options for this scenario.
- Run an optional second round using brainstorming/brainwriting techniques to get even more ideas.
- Identify the best ideas (5-7 ideas).
- Present a short elaboration of the ideas in an 'elevator pitch' or information market format.
- Download a more detailed workshop plan here
