Problem Solving Workshop — Making Work Visible and Deciding What Matters Next
Most teams aren't overwhelmed by work — they're overwhelmed by unresolved problems. A hands-on full-day workshop for teams who are busy and capable, but not as effective as they should be.
Problem Solving Workshop
A practical day to make work visible — and decide what actually matters next
Most teams don't struggle because they lack ideas. Or effort. Or ambition.
They struggle because energy goes in — and value doesn't reliably come out.
Meetings happen. Plans are made. Initiatives start. And yet progress feels slower than it should. Something isn't quite working. But no one can fully explain why.
The assumption becomes: we're not aligned. We need to try harder. We need better execution. We need to push.
But often the problem isn't the people. It's the system they're working in.
This workshop slows that moment down. And makes it visible.
What this day is really about
This isn't a solutions workshop. It's a clarity workshop.
Not fixing everything. Not launching another programme. Just seeing current reality clearly, naming what's actually happening, and deciding — calmly — what is worth tackling next.
Because most teams aren't overwhelmed by work. They're overwhelmed by unresolved problems.
How the day works
Making current reality visible
See what's actually happening — not what's assumed
We map your current reality properly. Problems — large and small — are listed, connected, and traced until a small number of root causes emerge. Usually far fewer than expected.
Building the vending machine
Make the invisible tangible — and force a constraint
Each root cause becomes a "product" in the vending machine — a physical, visual representation of the problem. The machine is drawn, built, and made visible. Thinking becomes tangible.
For each problem, we define:
Choosing what not to do
The real shift — clarity replaces overwhelm
You don't fix everything. You choose. One or two problems to tackle first. The rest stay visible — but untouched for now.
Those first problems become deliberate experiments. Measured. Learned from. Then you return to the machine.
What you leave with
By the end of the day your team will have a shared view of what's actually going on, a small number of real root causes, a visible map of possible next steps, and clear agreement on what to do — and what not to do.
Most importantly: a shared language. And language changes how teams think, talk, and act long after the day ends.
Practicalities
This is a hands-on, physical workshop. You'll need space to move, walls to think on, and tables to build around. I bring the materials. You bring the thinking.
Before the day: bring real problems not generalities, bring evidence where possible, clear your diaries, leave politics at the door, and be ready to disagree — and then commit. The problems need to be right. People don't.
After the day: observations shared within two to three days, chosen problems treated as experiments, progress measured deliberately. As new problems emerge — and they always do — you return to the machine. Calmly. Without overwhelm.
Where this sits
This workshop sits at the intersection of two layers of the Idea to Value system.
The Map layer — seeing current reality clearly and choosing where to focus energy. And the Physics layer — making visible where ideas are stalling and what's preventing them from moving to value. Most problem-solving workshops work on solutions. This one works on clarity first.
A simple starting point
If your team feels busy and capable — but not as effective as it should be — this will make the problem visible.
Book an exploratory conversation
No pitch. No pressure. Just a conversation to see if it's the right fit.
If your team is busy and capable — but not as effective as it should be — this workshop will make the problem visible. Start with a short conversation about what you're working with.
Usually responds within 48 hours
You can watch the note below, or read on to explore this idea.