Mission Impossible

Preparation

To set up the exercise, develop a question in advance that engages both the emotional and the rational parts of the brain.

Flow

1. Write this question for the group and explain the challenge.

2. For the next 30 minutes, working in pairs or small teams, the groups develop approaches to accomplishing the “impossible.” They may consider these broad questions or develop a set that is more specific to the challenge:

• What new benefits or features might emerge from this constraint?
• Why is this a typical constraint or requirement? Is it just a customary assumption?
•  What are the core elements in conflict?
•  Can the conflicting elements be eliminated, replaced, or altered in some way?
•  Is there anything that can happen before or after to change the parts in conflict?
•  Can time, space, materials, motion, or the environment have an effect?

3. At the end of the 30 minutes, groups present their concepts to each other. Following this, a reflective discussion about both common and uncommon approaches should yield a list of possible solutions to be explored further. Closing and next steps should include this follow-up work.