Pass on Perfection
Ever struggled to define what is minimally necessary? Whether it is defining a Minimally Viable Product or what is minimally necessary for a project or team, you need a way to not only brainstorm ideas, but also a way to cut the unnecessary waste out.
Pass to Perfection is a game for getting a solution, product, or project started with what is minimally necessary; in development terms, this is your Minimal Viable Product (MVP). It mashes up ‘Yes and’ thinking for co-creation, and the essence of The Perfection Game (from the Core Protocols) for negotiation and prioritization in a collaborative round-robin game format. Create ideas until you can’t think of anything else and you pass, remove ideas until you have what is essential and you pass. This workshop will have you try out the game and learn how easy it is to get people started.
Outline/Structure of the Workshop
Our session will consist almost entirely workshop; there will be no slides. Here is the flow that has worked so far...
Welcome people and introduce how this was created as a collaboration at the US Agile Coach Camp 2016 (~2 min)
Warm-up Exercise: 101 uses - this allows people freeform creativity around Yes, and... thinking an essential element in the ideation round of the Pass on Perfection game (~5 min)
Describe the arc of Pass on Perfection (~5 min)
- mash-up of yes and ..., brainstorming, negotiation, a boardgame play or pass mechanic, and the perfection game from Core Protocols
- describe how it is broken into two rounds - Ideation Round and Perfection Round
- Run through an example
Break into effective groups if attendees are not set-up that way (~2 min)
[ The details for the rounds can be found at http://tastycupcakes.org/2018/04/pass-the-perfection/ ]
Set-Up Round One: Ideation Round - explain the Yes, and.. concept and the mechanics of adding to the idea or passing (~1 min)
Execute Ideation Round- allow people to round robin add to the idea or pass, normally this isn't timeboxed, so we'll explain in the debrief that this is normally done until everyone passes (7 min - Timeboxed)
Set-Up Round Two: Perfection Round - explain the removal aspect with negotiation or pass (~1 min)
Execute Perfection Round 7 min allow people to round robin propose to remove an idea or pass - negotiating for consensus to actually remove it, normally this isn't timeboxed, so we'll explain in the debrief that this is normally done until everyone passes (Timeboxed)
Debrief (10 min)
- Share results from 1-2 teams
Ask:
- What did you learn?
- How would this help you get the result you want?
- What effect does this have on helping people get 'heard'?
- How does this increase a group's psychological safety?
- What other uses could this be applied to other than an MVP for a product?
Describe other uses the facilitators have had, variations, and point to Tasty Cupcakes site for more info... (2 min)
Q&A (remaining time)
Note to the evaluation team: this session has been presented in 2018 at Path to Agility, Agile Games, Heart of Agile and several meet-ups in the DC and Detroit areas.
Learning Outcome
- Learn an easy to use activity for defining a minimally valuable product (or any other thing where minimally viable can apply).
- Learn pointers and tips to facilitate the session through doing.
- If you have struggled to understand what minimally viable is, we've found this helps people understand the concept better.
Target Audience
Managers, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Team Members
Prerequisites for Attendees
It is good, but unnecessary, to understand the concept of 'minimally viable'.
Links
http://tastycupcakes.org/2018/04/pass-the-perfection/
schedule Submitted 4 years ago
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