8 Mapping Complexity
Select a scenario from the collection of What IF…Scenarios or create your own based on a topic that is relevant for your group.
How to run it
- Select a scenario from the collection of What IF…Scenarios or create your own based on a topic that is relevant for your group.
- Share the scenario as a handout or shared document.
- Share the Fishbone Diagram as a handout or create copies of the file for each group and share electronically.
- Organize participants into small groups (4-6 ppl).
- Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
- Complicated issues can overwhelm a discussion group.
- Discussants can feel daunted by the complexity of a topic or they can rush to a conclusion without fully exploring its complexity.
- Both approaches fail to constructively engage the topic.
- This activity introduces tools for mapping complexity.
Run this exercise live
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What participants need now
Materials:
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Prompts to use +
Select a scenario from the collection of What IF…Scenarios or create your own based on a topic that is relevant for your group.
Share the scenario as a handout or shared document.
Share the Fishbone Diagram as a handout or create copies of the file for each group and share electronically.
Organize participants into small groups (4-6 ppl).
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Run this with your AI assistant +
Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.
Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: 8 Mapping Complexity. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Select a scenario from the collection of What IF…Scenarios or create your own based on a topic that is relevant for your group.; Share the scenario as a handout or shared document.; Share the Fishbone Diagram as a handout or create copies of the file for each group and share electronically.; Organize participants into small groups (4-6 ppl).. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Collaborative Discussion Project; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Collaborative Discussion Project.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.