Nonprofit Innovation Workshops That Inspire

Hack Your Team's Mindset: 5 Unconventional Warmups for Innovation Workshops 🧠⚡ Ever run an innovation workshop that felt like trying to start a car with a dead battery? That first 30 minutes determines whether you'll get breakthrough ideas or recycled thinking. Something that I call getting into the “psychology of innovation”. After facilitating several sessions, I've discovered something surprising: the traditional "let's go around and introduce ourselves" kills creative energy before it starts. Your team's brains are still in operational mode—not possibility mode. Here are five unconventional warmups I've tested that rewire neural pathways for innovation in under 20 minutes: 1. The Impossible Question Challenge 🔥 Start by asking questions that have no "correct" answers: "How would you design a restaurant on Mars?" or "What if sleep became optional?" This immediately signals we're breaking free from conventional thinking. 2. The Reality Bending Exercise ✨ Have everyone write down three "unchangeable facts" about your industry. Then challenge teams to imagine a world where each "fact" is no longer true. As Steve Jobs said, "Reality can be distorted"—this exercise trains that muscle. 3. The Reverse Assumptions Game 🔄 List 5-10 core assumptions about your business. Then systematically reverse each one: "What if we charged more for less?" or "What if our customers became our employees?" This shatters mental models almost instantly. 4. The "Yes, And..." Chain Reaction ⛓️ One person proposes a wild idea. Instead of evaluating it, the next person must say "Yes, and..." adding something to evolve it further. Continue for 3-5 minutes. This dismantles our innate criticism reflex. 5. Two-Minute Futures ⏱️ Give everyone two minutes to draw what your industry will look like in 2040. The time constraint bypasses the analytical brain and accesses the intuitive one. The crude drawings often reveal surprising insights about shared hopes and fears. Remember: Innovation doesn't need fancy frameworks—it needs minds free from invisible constraints. These warmups aren't just games; they're pattern-disruptors that help your team escape their mental programming. What's your go-to innovation warmup? Have you tried activities that break conventional thinking patterns? #InnovationWorkshops #CreativeThinking #DesignThinking #TeamFacilitation #Creativity #TransformativeMindset

I just wrapped up a persona development workshop with a client this morning, and it got me thinking: How can we creatively fuse traditional approaches with new ones to redefine persona development for nonprofits? A mix of new and old: - [Traditional] Stakeholder Interviews & Surveys: The good old-fashioned way to get direct insights from an audience. - [New] VR Immersion: Walk the team through a "day-in-the-life" of a partner/volunteer/donor leveraging virtual reality for a deeper understanding. - [Traditional] Journey Mapping + Empathy Mapping: The traditional way to visualize interactions and touchpoints between the user and your organization. - [New] AI Analysis via ChatGPT: Use conversational AI to interact with website visitors, automatically segmenting them based on their needs and pain points. - [New] AR Storytelling: Use augmented reality to create compelling narratives that resonate with different donor or volunteer personas. Would you try this mix? Have you tried something else in your own mix of new and old approaches? Only some processes need new tech, but it's helpful to consider where it might make sense. If you like thinking about this kind of thing, you might want to sign up for the newly revamped Association Chat newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gaXnpj

– Imagine Gen AI workshops where association staff and volunteers don’t just learn—they transform how they work, engage, and lead. – These interactive sessions empower teams to use AI tools for real challenges, from automating admin tasks to personalizing member experiences. – Unlike passive seminars, workshops spark a mindset shift, turning AI from an abstract concept into a practical ally in achieving mission-critical goals. – Hands-on training tailored to association roles helps participants build real skills while aligning with organizational priorities. – Gen AI workshops aren’t just about technology—they’re about innovation, culture change, and elevating the impact of associations in their industries. How are you preparing your team to use Gen AI in meaningful, hands-on ways?