below you will find general answers to several common questions. if you’d like to pose a question of a general nature that is not answered below, please use the form at the bottom of the page. if you have questions specific to your organization, please propose a time for a first-30 conversation.
1. why would someone invest in “design-based collaborative problem-solving” or whatever it is you say you do?
clients tell us that, with our help (we’re just repeating what we’ve been told), they get where they are trying to go faster and with greater assurance than if they were on their own. we create accelerated solutions environments, that’s what we do. so if time and risk reduction are both money (or some other form of gain), an upfront investment in our help can save/make you loads on the back end.
2. who would benefit from collabyrinth consulting?
almost any social enterprise, non-profit, school, faith-based or locally-focused community of goodwill–that is, any group of people bound together by more than self interest. shoe makers, marketing agencies, universities, foundations, public health programs, art festivals, retreat centers, seminaries, grade schools, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, newspapers, governmental agencies, NGOs, b corps . . . the list goes on and on.
the only exception we can think of are those unable to admit that most of the complex and persistent impediments to beloved community–particularly those related to issues of social identity, ecology or education–are problems of our own making.
3. what makes collabyrinth consulting unique? is there a specific methodology collabyrinth employs?
why yes there is! however, it may more accurately be described as an applied philosophy practiced amongst a community of professional design facilitators who work with and support each other’s attempts to aid specific target markets. the philosophy/methodology is commonly called DESIGNSHOP. it is the collaborative use of particular processes, tools, environments and time to produce consistent breakthrough problem-solving.
for more detailed information, enjoy this downloadable article The DesignShop Process
4. what is the big difference between ordinary facilitation and design sessions?
ordinary facilitators operate as disinterested 3rd-parties–traffic cops, if you will–employing a set of tactics meant to move you efficiently and effectively through an ordinary meeting. the problem is that ordinary meetings suck!
design sessions, on the other hand, are creative, customized events, designed to achieve your particular desired results, while exciting participants about the unfolding possibilities. the design facilitator remains a fully engaged stakeholder in the process the entire time.
for more information, enjoy this downloadable article “The Difference Between Facilitated Meetings and Design Sessions”.
5. how long do design sessions take?
well, that depends on what you want to accomplish. gaining perspective might just take one day or even a few hours. getting multiple departments aligned might take two days. working through a complex problem and coming out with a detailed plan of attack may take three.
in an initial 90-3-90 discovery session with the sponsoring design team, we make recommendations based on what we learn from you about where you are trying to go, and together we arrive at an investment of time that best suits your needs.
for detailed considerations, enjoy this downloadable article The Appropriate Length for a Design Session