---
title: Strategic Thinking Exercises – 11 Things Running through a Facilitator’s Head
description: Strategic Thinking Exercises – 11 Things Running through a Facilitator’s Head
---

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# [Strategic Thinking Exercises – 11 Things Running through a Facilitator’s Head](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/strategic-thinking-exercises-11-things-running-through-a-facilitators-head)

 Written by [Mike Brown](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/author/mike-brown) | Dec 9, 2015 10:50:10 AM

We facilitated a two-day [innovation strategy workshop](https://www.brainzooming.com/strategic-thinking-exercises-16-resources-for-outside-in-innovation/22896/) for an industrial company. The company wants to make significant changes to a major production process. During the innovation strategy discussions, we addressed the production process changes from five different perspectives. In each of the five mini-innovation strategy workshops, we had a group of core team members, plus people familiar with each perspective. The overall group sizes for each innovation strategy workshop varied from fourteen to more than twenty-five people, depending on the topic.

From a facilitation standpoint, it was the most arduous couple of days of going through strategic thinking exercises I recall.

With groups changing out every few hours, there was a continual, tight window to get all the input we’d need to build out a strategic plan and timeline for our client’s strategic initiative.

As I described it to an associate, facilitation may look easy. You stand there, ask some questions, and crack a few jokes to keep things light.

## 11 Things Running through a Facilitator’s Head

<https://www.brainzooming.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Brain-Thoughts-415-4.jpg>

In reality, I shared these eleven things going through my head at all times relative to the strategic thinking exercises we were using with the group:

1. How quickly can I read the [dynamics of this new group](https://www.brainzooming.com/strategic-planning-all-the-strategy-roles-you-need/24396/), even though I don’t have time for them to do meaningful self-introductions?
2. Who are going to be the active participants?
3. Am I able to keep up in writing down all their ideas on [sticky notes](https://www.brainzooming.com/organization-another-take-on-sticky-notes/652/)?
4. As we progress, is everyone participating? If not, what can I do to get laggards to actively participate?
5. If I become the bottleneck on recording ideas, at what point do I [split them into smaller groups](https://www.brainzooming.com/brainstorming-methods-using-brainstorming-math-to-save-time/24691/) to work independently?
6. If we split into smaller groups, what structure can I put around each small group to help them perform successfully even though I have no time to manage the group composition to maximize their input on innovation strategy?
7. Are we on schedule, and if not, what do I need to do to adjust?
8. What questions or exercises can I eliminate to save time while still getting enough input in all the areas we are covering for each innovation strategy?
9. Are the people [having fun with the strategic planning activities](https://www.brainzooming.com/fun-strategic-planning-exercises-6-last-minute-ideas/25276/), or do I need to do more funny stuff to keep their heads in the game?
10. Do I have time and room to experiment with the group to take them into [new areas of innovation strategy](https://www.brainzooming.com/creative-thinking-exercise-rethinking-shrimp/24727/)?
11. Are we done yet? And how much time do I have to get ready before the next workshop?

Yup, those questions were all running through my head nearly continually. Add to that the constant headache I could not shake, and it was a two-day mental crunch, without a doubt.

But when we look back and see how we pushed the thinking on the initiative, it’s clear all the challenges were all worth it!  - *[Mike Brown](https://www.brainzooming.com/?page_id=1197)*

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