--- title: "Prune the Future" description: "Participants map present conditions onto the inner branches of a drawn tree, then place future possibilities outward along categorical limbs to see where growth is concentrating or stalling. The group reviews the tree's balance to identify priorities and neglected areas." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/prune-the-future/" --- # Prune the Future Participants map present conditions onto the inner branches of a drawn tree, then place future possibilities outward along categorical limbs to see where growth is concentrating or stalling. The group reviews the tree's balance to identify priorities and neglected areas. **Time:** 30 minutes. Source records specify 30 minutes for a group of 5 to 15. **People:** 5 to 15. Single whole group or pairs working on a shared visual surface ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Visualize current conditions and proposed future initiatives on a branch diagram to compare where effort is clustering versus where growth is missing. **Use it when:** Use during strategic planning or product roadmap sessions when a team needs to examine whether future proposals align with core capabilities and balanced growth. **Skip it when:** Skip when a strict chronological timeline, resource-loaded schedule, or precise dependency path is required. ## Materials and tools - Large wall chart or whiteboard with a pre-drawn tree (trunk, major limbs, canopy boundary) - Leaf-shaped paper cutouts or leaf-shaped sticky notes (at least 6 per person) - Standard rectangular sticky notes (for branch category labels) - Fine-tip markers (one per person) - Painter tape (if mounting on walls) ## Before participants arrive 1. Draw a large tree on a whiteboard or butcher paper. Include a sturdy trunk, 3 to 5 distinct thick limbs, and an outlined canopy. 2. Write the focus topic clearly above or beneath the tree. 3. Pre-cut leaf-shaped sticky notes or paper leaves and place them on participant tables. ## Say this to open Today we are mapping where our work stands today and where it could grow. Think of the inner canopy near the trunk as our present reality. The outer edges and branch tips represent future states, experiments, and possibilities. We will map our current foundation first, then stretch outward to see where our future focus is clustering and where it might be bare. ## How to run it ### 1. Set topic and label limbs (4 minutes) State the core focus topic clearly. Invite the group to name 3 to 5 core categories or functional domains for the major limbs (for example: User Research, Core Platform, New Markets). Write these category labels along the thick branches. Anyone may propose a label or remain silent. ### 2. Leaf writing: Current state (6 minutes) Ask everyone to take 2 or 3 leaf cutouts. In silent individual work, write one current fact, capability, or ongoing metric per leaf. Example: 'Manual customer onboarding' or 'US enterprise clients only'. Invite participants to stick their leaves in the inner canopy, close to the trunk along the relevant branch. ### 3. Cluster and review current canopy (5 minutes) Gather around the tree. Read leaves aloud. With group assent, merge obvious duplicates and cluster closely related leaves along their branches. Confirm that the inner canopy represents the accepted starting point. ### 4. Leaf writing: Future possibilities (7 minutes) Give each person 3 to 5 fresh leaves. Ask everyone to write one future possibility, goal, or prospective feature per leaf. These can be near-term plans or bold experiments. Participants place these leaves outward along the branches, placing immediate next steps closer to the center and far-reaching or speculative ideas out at the tips. ### 5. Prune and examine distribution (8 minutes) Review the whole tree together. Identify branches that are heavy with leaves and branches that remain empty. Invite the group to adjust placements, shift misplaced leaves, or flag ideas that need trimming. Conclude when the group has named top priorities and identified gaps. ## Debrief questions - Which branches carry the most future ideas, and why is our attention concentrating there? - Which areas show little or no new growth, and is that neglect intentional or risky? - Which single leaf on the outer tips represents the most critical direction to pursue next? **Finished output:** A mapped tree diagram showing current operational baselines near the center and future initiatives positioned across categorical branches. ## Remote Use an online whiteboard canvas containing a pre-drawn tree illustration with defined branch zones. Provide virtual leaf shapes in two distinct colors: one color for current baseline items and another for future ideas. Participants type their leaves privately, drag them onto the inner canopy during step 2, and position future leaves along the branches during step 4. Conduct the review via open audio or text chat. ## Hybrid Assign an in-person facilitator to mirror online sticky notes onto the physical tree, or have in-person participants work directly on the shared digital board using laptops or a room display so all inputs merge in one shared tree. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may contribute via writing, speaking aloud for someone else to scribe, or quietly observing. - Anyone may pass on placing a future leaf without explanation. - Leaf cutouts can use high-contrast paper to support visual clarity. ## If the session gets stuck **Participants cluster every leaf on a single branch, leaving other critical operations empty.** Point out the imbalance neutrally. Ask whether the bare branches are deliberately deprioritized or if ideas are missing there. **People write vague statements like 'Better communication' that are difficult to evaluate.** Prompt the contributor to ground the note with a concrete action or milestone, such as 'Weekly cross-team sync' or 'Unified issue queue'. ## Terms used here - Inner canopy: The zone of the tree drawing closest to the trunk and limb joints, representing current reality and baseline work. - Outer canopy: The perimeter and tips of the drawn branches, representing prospective ideas, future states, and exploratory efforts. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Gamestorming, which notes the exercise is based on the Prune the Product Tree activity in Luke Hohmann's Innovation Games. Retained the core mechanic from Gamestorming (tree drawing, category limbs, inner leaves for current state, outer leaves for future possibilities, and group shape review). Standardized timing to 30 minutes, structured into five discrete facilitator steps, and added explicit setup, troubleshooting, and debrief prompts. [Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/prune-the-future) [Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/prune-the-future/) [Workshopr](https://workshopr.io/library/exercises/detail/?code=prunefut) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/prune-the-future/