Anticipating Challenges is a participatory activity in which teams identify potential problems before they occur, helping them prevent failure and strengthen their strategies. By visualizing a scenario where a project has failed, participants analyze the reasons and generate preventive solutions.
Preparation
- Define the purpose:
- Identify potential problems and risks before they happen
- Promote critical thinking and problem-solving
- Encourage teamwork and effective communication
- Prepare the materials:
- Large sheets of paper or digital whiteboards on collaborative platforms
- Markers or sticky notes
- Template with guiding questions (optional)
- Set up the space:
- Organize participants into teams of 4 to 6 people
- Ensure an environment where everyone can contribute ideas
To run the activity virtually:
Use collaborative platforms where participants can record their ideas in real time.
Step-by-step instructions
- Present the scenario:
- Explain to participants that the goal is to anticipate problems
- Ask them to imagine that their project has completely failed and now they must analyze the reasons for that failure
- Identify the causes:
- Each team answers the question: What could have gone wrong?
- They write down all possible reasons without limitations
- Prioritize key issues:
- They review the list and select the most critical or likely problems
- They may group similar problems and organize them into categories
- Propose preventive solutions:
- For each identified problem, the team proposes actions to prevent it
- They answer the question: How can we prevent this from happening?
- Share and reflect:
- Each team presents their findings and solutions to the group
- Discussion is encouraged and common patterns are identified
- Closure and conclusions:
- Reflect with the group on the value of anticipating problems
- Highlight the most effective strategies that emerged
