Speed Car – Abyss is a forward-thinking exercise, with an eye on the past. It is a mix of retrospective and futurespective, which uncovers risks.
Running the activity:
- Draw the picture below in a common canvas.
- Ask participants to share their notes for each of the retrospective areas:
“Let’s start by looking back. Please, write notes and place them on the following two areas on the left side of the drawing: engine and parachute.”
* Looking back – engine: what has been pushing us forward? Making us move fast?
* Looking back – parachute: what has been slowing us down? - Ask participants to share their notes, thinking about the future.
“Now, let’s look ahead at the near future. Please, write notes and place them on the following two areas on the right side of the drawing: abyss and bridge.”
* Looking ahead – abyss: what are the dangers ahead? What could take us down the road?
* Looking ahead – bridge: what could we build to overcome such challenges? What shall we do to overcome the abyss? - Group notes and debate.
Sometimes we need an activity to look at the past and the future at the same time, so that the discussion is not only about fixing what went wrong: it is also about preparing for what’s ahead.
Remote-team advice: This activity works well for remote teams. Use a remote board of your choice.