I am an advocate for highly collaborative face-to-face workshops. For example, check the following text from my Lean Inception book:
Don’t underestimate the value of face-to-face interaction. Innovative technologies, such as videoconferencing and online shared documents facilitate remote work between people. However, face-to-face interaction during Inception allows hard work in activities, guaranteeing that everybody will be present and actively participating.
When everyone is in the same room, the level of participation increases. You cannot simply sit down in a corner and turn your back to the meeting, doing some other thing. Face-to-face meetings tend to be shorter and more efficient than remote meetings.
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Do everything you can to get everyone involved in the same environment, interacting face-to-face during Inception.
Oh, well, for now, during this pandemic period, I say the opposite: avoid face-to-face interaction!
Given the current situation, we need to help, maintain physical distance between people, and avoid face-to-face workshops.
Currently, avoid face-to-face workshops. For you who can, work remotely.
But we still need to do the inceptions. We need to help our teams and our companies. In fact, there will be many inceptions for new initiatives, challenges and opportunities caused by this virus.
Last week I facilitated a remote Lean Inception.
This inception helped a team and a company to align on product direction and MVP, with the similar quality and engagement typical of a face-to-face inception, but remotely.
The current situation requires us to coop with change. We need to adapt. We are agile, so we will respond to change.
Lean Inception helps to align a group of people. Regardless of physical distance because of this virus, people need to align themselves.
Between not making an inception, or making it remote, make a remote inception. (In pandemic times)
Between making a face-to-face inception or making it remote, make a face-to-face inception. (In time without pandemic)
Soon we will be together again in a face-to-face Lean Inception, with everyone together, in the same room.
For now, the Lean Inception room is virtual. And the people interaction will be remote.
Please share in the comment of this post on LinkedIn tools and tips that helped you in your remote inception
