We love to also give our followers tools to improve their agile toolbox. Here’s a nice technique that you can easily modify to use with distributed teams. Let’s discover it together.

Object of Play

Finding out new insights about a current project by pushing boundaries and thinking outside of constraints. This version is an adaptation of the Mission Impossible game from the excellent Game Storming book. This online version is suited for distributed teams or team members that work in different locations. The modification here is well suited to having team members who don’t interact much with others getting to know each other better.

Number of people

Small groups, as results are shared at the end of the game.

Duration

30’ to 1 hour depending on the group size

Tools

Skype for business / Google hangouts or other multi user video conference tool

Linoid.com : an online postit board, can be used freely (with ads)

How

Preparation

Prepare the linoit board with 3 areas:

Stickies below with nearly impossible things to do

Stickies below with challenges we may be facing

Ideas area for the last stage

Add a sticky with some explanation

Introduction

Explain the game is about the future and trying to gain insights by thinking together and find new takes on problems or challenges.

Opening Stage 10’

Ask everyone to add stickies to the impossible/challenges areas

Exploration Stage 20’

Ask team members to form teams of two. If the teams are from different areas, have teams with one of each area. Sometimes this needs some nudging, some cultures are really not used to select someone to interact with.

Ask each team to select a sticky of their choice and have a separate skype meeting between the two of them, discussing the challenge and trying to find possible steps/ideas/insights about the challenge.

Each team moves their impossible mission or challenge to the ideas area. While discussing, the add new stickies to the board under the challenge mission.

Give them a precise time to return to rejoin the main skype session.

Closing Stage

Have each team present their challenge and possible ideas in turn.

Try to limit each team to 5 minutes while collecting ideas and possible follow up.