Impediment Removal Workshop

This workshop helps teams identify, classify, and resolve recurring impediments. By focusing on these obstacles, the team can improve its overall functioning and optimise its processes. It is a collaborative moment that fosters open communication and creativity in finding solutions.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Introduction and Objectives

   10 min

   The facilitator welcomes the participants and explains the objective of the workshop: to identify and resolve the impediments that hinder the team. They emphasise the importance of collaboration and continuous improvement. Each participant is invited to briefly share an example of an impediment encountered recently.

   Tip — Use concrete examples to illustrate what an impediment is, as this will help clarify the concept for all participants.

2. 2

   Impediment Brainstorming

   15 min

   Participants reflect individually and then in small groups on the impediments they frequently encounter. They write each impediment on a post-it note. The facilitator encourages participants to be specific and to avoid generalisations.

   Tip — Encourage a relaxed atmosphere to promote the emergence of ideas and facilitate the expression of frustrations.

3. 3

   Classification of Impediments

   15 min

   Participants gather around a whiteboard where they stick their post-it notes. Together, they classify the impediments by frequency and impact on the team. The facilitator guides the discussion to ensure that every voice is heard.

   Tip — Use different colours for the post-it notes to distinguish between categories of impediments (e.g., technical, organisational, human).

4. 4

   Prioritisation

   10 min

   Participants vote for the three most critical impediments to resolve. The facilitator can use a point voting method, where each participant has three points to distribute. The impediments with the most points are prioritised.

   Tip — Limit the number of votes per person to enforce strict prioritisation and avoid dispersion.

5. 5

   Solution Planning

   20 min

   For each prioritised impediment, participants brainstorm possible solutions. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each solution and designate a responsible person to follow up on its implementation. The facilitator ensures that each solution is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound).

   Tip — Encourage participants to think of creative solutions and draw inspiration from practices of other teams or sectors.

6. 6

   Commitment and Follow-up

   10 min

   The facilitator summarises the actions to be taken and the designated responsible persons. They set a date for a follow-up meeting to assess progress. Each participant expresses a personal commitment to continuous improvement.

   Tip — Set a reminder for the follow-up in participants' calendars to ensure that actions do not fall into oblivion.

Variants

• Use a digital collaboration tool for brainstorming if the workshop is remote.
• Introduce a role-playing session to simulate the resolution of an impediment.
• Organise a weekly follow-up on progress regarding resolved impediments.