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Exercises/Reflection and Learning/Anticipating Challenges
Prompted Conversation ยท Reflection and Learning

Anticipating Challenges

Explain to participants that the goal is to anticipate problems Ask them to imagine that their project has completely failed and now they must analyze the reasons for that failure Each team answers the question: What could have gone wrong?

5 to 15 minutesTIME
Medium group (9-25)GROUP SIZE
ActiveENERGY
In person, RemoteSETTING
High cognitive loadCOGNITIVE LOAD
Strengthens Learning Transfer This reflection and learning exercise strengthens Learning Transfer, one of the eight Gathering Effectiveness pillars.

How to run it

  1. Explain to participants that the goal is to anticipate problems
  2. Ask them to imagine that their project has completely failed and now they must analyze the reasons for that failure
  3. Each team answers the question: What could have gone wrong?
  4. They write down all possible reasons without limitations
  5. They review the list and select the most critical or likely problems
  6. For each identified problem, the team proposes actions to prevent it
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Prompts to use +

Explain to participants that the goal is to anticipate problems

Ask them to imagine that their project has completely failed and now they must analyze the reasons for that failure

Each team answers the question: What could have gone wrong?

They write down all possible reasons without limitations

They review the list and select the most critical or likely problems

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: Anticipating Challenges. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Explain to participants that the goal is to anticipate problems; Ask them to imagine that their project has completely failed and now they must analyze the reasons for that failure; Each team answers the question: What could have gone wrong?; They write down all possible reasons without limitations. 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 Participatory Methods; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Participatory Methods.)
  • 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.

Pairs well with