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Exercises/Divergent Ideation/System Sculpting
Applied Improv ยท Divergent Ideation

System Sculpting

System Sculpting is an applied improv exercise for divergent ideation: it helps participants open up more possible ideas before choosing a direction.

5 to 15 minutesTIME
Small group (4-8)GROUP SIZE
ActiveENERGY
In person, RemoteSETTING
Medium cognitive loadCOGNITIVE LOAD
Strengthens Participation Architecture This divergent ideation exercise strengthens Participation Architecture, one of the eight Gathering Effectiveness pillars.

How to run it

  1. In People Science teams, co-create a YLVXDO model that represents the current situation in the system
  2. After each step explain to your colleagues what you did
  3. Listen to what your colleagues say and do, and build on each other's ideas
  4. Reflect on your model from four directions
  5. Change your model so that it better represents the future that you want to create
  6. Reflect on your common intention What in your model the future you want to create are the essentials
  7. Identify the 2 or 3 bottleneck areas or strategic leverage points that could move the system from here to
Live facilitator

Run this exercise live

The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.

Prompts to use +

In People Science teams, co-create a YLVXDO model that represents the current situation in the system

After each step explain to your colleagues what you did

Listen to what your colleagues say and do, and build on each other's ideas

Reflect on your model from four directions

Change your model so that it better represents the future that you want to create

Reflect on your common intention What in your model the future you want to create are the essentials

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: System Sculpting. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: In People Science teams, co-create a YLVXDO model that represents the current situation in the system; After each step explain to your colleagues what you did; Listen to what your colleagues say and do, and build on each other's ideas; Reflect on your model from four directions. 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 Relationship Makers Handbook; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Relationship Makers Handbook.)
  • What that does and does not claim: we track where an exercise has been seen in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, how popular it is, or that it works. See methodology and trust boundary.
  • Corrections welcome: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, tell us.

Pairs well with