Facilitation Game : Unfolding Ideas

The Blossom and Bud Facilitation Game

Objective of the Game

The Blooming Ideas Facilitation game is designed to encourage group participation, idea-sharing, and creative problem-solving using visual metaphors. By working through four distinct petals of a flower, participants will explore multiple dimensions of a topic, generate insights, and align on actionable steps. The goal is to harness the collective thinking of the group in a structured, engaging, and playful manner.

When to Use This Facilitation Game Play

This game is ideal for retrospective meetings, brainstorming sessions, or when teams need to align around a shared vision or problem. It’s particularly effective when you want to:

• Foster creativity and unlock new ideas.
• Explore different perspectives on a topic.
• Encourage team bonding through collaboration.
• Build a consensus on important decisions.

Use this game when you’re looking for a fresh and interactive way to approach problem-solving or decision-making with your team.

Facilitation Game Setup

Materials Needed:

1. Flower Template with Four Petals (one for each group member or team)
2. Post-its (different colors for each phase)
3. Dice (for added randomness)
4. Timer (to keep activities focused and time-bound)
5. Dot votes (to prioritize ideas)
6. Markers
7. Flipchart or whiteboard (to showcase the flower templates)

You can also purchase the visual facilitation charts for this game at Visual Thinking School Charts.

Game Phases

1. Petal 1: Planting the Seed (Opening)

Objective: Brainstorm initial thoughts on the topic.

Game Mechanics:

• Each participant gets 5 post-its and is asked to write down their ideas or thoughts related to the topic.
• Set the timer for 5 minutes to keep this phase focused.
• Once time is up, each person places their post-its on the first petal of the flower (the ‘Planting the Seed’ petal).
• Participants can explain their post-its briefly, but discussions are kept minimal to encourage a free flow of ideas.

Tip: For more structure, the dice can be rolled to decide the order in which people share their post-its.

2. Petal 2: Nurturing Growth (Exploration)

Objective: Delve deeper into the ideas and find connections.

Game Mechanics:

• In this phase, participants use their post-its from Petal 1 as a base and build on each other’s ideas.
• They can add new post-its to the second petal, titled ‘Nurturing Growth.’
• To encourage deeper exploration, assign a new prompt or question to explore the original ideas more thoroughly (e.g., “How can we improve this?” or “What challenges might we face with this idea?”).

You can use a random question generator or roll a dice to assign prompts for added playfulness.

3. Petal 3: Blooming Ideas (Refinement)

Objective: Refine and prioritize ideas.

Game Mechanics:

• Participants now vote on the ideas they feel have the most potential by using dot votes.
• Each person has 3 dots and can place them on any ideas they think should be prioritized.
• Once the voting is complete, the facilitator highlights the top-voted ideas and opens the floor for a short discussion.
• Use a timer to limit the discussion to 2-3 minutes per idea.

At this stage, you can introduce external resources to deepen your exploration, such as reviewing best practices for ideation or creativity tools (for instance, check out this https://visualthinkingschool.eu/charts

4. Petal 4: Harvesting Results (Actionable Outcomes)

Objective: Translate ideas into actionable steps.

Game Mechanics:

• Now, participants work together to turn the top-voted ideas into concrete action plans.
• Each idea on Petal 3 should have at least one corresponding action on the fourth petal (‘Harvesting Results’).
• To keep things fun and dynamic, roll the dice to assign responsibility for each action step. The number on the dice determines who takes charge of each task.
• The facilitator should document these action items on the flipchart and review them with the group to ensure clarity.

Wrap-up and Reflection

At the end of the game, the group can take a moment to reflect on the process and outcomes. A short discussion on what worked well or what could be improved can be a valuable part of closing the session.

For a deeper dive into how to enhance your facilitation skills and lead engaging sessions like this, check out our Visual Facilitation Certification Course at Visual Thinking School Courses.

Why Blooming Ideas Works

This game works because it taps into the collaborative spirit of teams and uses visual metaphors to break down complex topics into manageable parts. The phased approach of brainstorming, exploration, refinement, and action ensures that no idea is left unexplored, while the game elements like dice and post-its add a playful, engaging touch.

By utilizing this facilitation game, you will not only unlock creative thinking but also drive alignment and action in a way that’s both structured and fun. Try incorporating Blooming Ideas Facilitation into your next meeting and watch your team bloom!

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Piyuesh is the founder of Visual Thinking School, Netherlands. He is passionate about empowering organizations and classrooms with Visual Thinking Skills. He conducts trainings onBusiness Sketchnotes™ , Classroom Sketchnotes™, Visual Business Storytelling™, Graphic Facilitation™

In his free time, piyuesh likes practicing Aerial Yoga, Acro yoga, Krav Maga and Pole workouts.

He can be reached out at his Instagram and Linkedin