Private development workshops

Choose a question that fits a session

A workshop might help a team organize an opportunity brief, compare the assumptions behind alternative concepts or prepare a diligence agenda. It should not attempt to settle every aspect of a project. For example, a group considering two preliminary use concepts could map the evidence each would require before commissioning further work. The result would be a comparison of questions and dependencies, not a technical determination of the best design.

Prepare the room to do useful work

A proposal should identify the audience, the decision owner and the materials participants may review. Use fictional or authorized nonconfidential information until appropriate permissions and handling arrangements are agreed. The session could move from a shared question to a working exercise, then to a documented set of conclusions and open items. Disagreement is useful when the group can identify the assumption behind it rather than forcing premature consensus.

• Agree on a concrete output, such as a question map or action list.
• Identify who will use that output after the session.
• Reserve unresolved specialist questions for the appropriate professionals.

Distinguish a workshop from a full engagement

A focused session cannot substitute for comprehensive diligence, legal review, design work or financing analysis by the responsible professionals. Any proposed format, duration, language, preparation and commercial terms require mutual agreement; there is no published schedule or confirmed availability. If the question needs substantial investigation outside the room, a separate consulting scope may be more appropriate. Describe the group and the decision you want to clarify in your inquiry.