The Vending Machine Workshop: Organisational Problem-Solving

The Vending Machine Workshop

A problem-solving day that makes work visible—and clarifies what actually matters next

Most teams do not struggle because they lack ideas, ambition, or effort.
They struggle because energy goes in
—meetings, initiatives, plans
—and value does not reliably come out.

Over time, teams assume the problem is themselves:
misalignment,
effort,
execution,
commitment.

This workshop is designed to slow that moment down and make the system visible.

Not to fix everything.
Not to launch another programme.
But to name the problems that have been normalised
—and decide, calmly, what is worth tackling next.

What This Day Is About

This is not a solutions-first workshop.
It is a workshop about seeing current reality clearly, without blame.

Together, we make problems visible, connect them, and identify the few root causes that quietly generate many of the frustrations experienced day to day.

Once those root causes are named, they are given form
—imagined as “products” inside a vending machine.

Not because work is transactional, but because the metaphor reminds us of a simple constraint:

You cannot vend everything at once.

How the Day Works

1. Making Current Reality Visible

We begin by mapping your current reality using a Root Cause Current Reality Tree.

Problems — large and small — are listed and connected until a small number of root causes emerge (typically far fewer than expected).

For many teams, this step alone creates relief:
“Ah. That’s why everything feels harder than it should.”

2. Building the Vending Machine

Each root cause becomes a “product” in the vending machine.

For each one, we clarify:

• what the problem is
• why it matters
• how we know it is a problem (evidence, measures, insights)
• what addressing it would involve

We deliberately constrain the machine to 4–6 products.
Participants build the machine physically
— drawing, mapping, and making
— so clarity becomes tangible.

3. Choosing What Not to Do

The most important insight usually comes near the end of the day:
you cannot — and should not — tackle everything at once.

Participants select one or two products to take forward initially.
These become experiments:
implemented deliberately, measured, and learned from.

Once something is resolved, the team can return to the machine for the next product.

What You Leave With

By the end of the day, you will have:

• a shared view of your real problems
• a small set of clearly defined root causes
• a visual “vending machine” of possible next steps
• agreement on what to tackle now—and what to leave alone for now

Most importantly, you will have shared language.
Language changes how people think, talk, and act together.

Practicalities

This is a hands-on, physical workshop. Space matters.

• I provide the materials.
• You provide the brains.

A suitable room with tables, walls, and space to move works best—office, hotel, or creative space.

Suggested Schedule

• 08:30–09:00 — Set-up
• 09:00–09:30 — Introductions
• 09:30–10:45 — Current Reality Tree
• 11:00–12:30 — Building products
• 13:30–15:00 — Building products
• 15:30–17:00 — Loading the machine and agreeing next steps

Before the Day

• Reflect on the problems you are facing—be specific
• Bring evidence where possible
• Clear diaries; full attention matters
• Leave politics at the door
• Come prepared to disagree and commit

This is a problem-resolution workshop.
The problems must be right.
People do not.

After the Day

• I share observations and notes within 2–3 working days
• Each product should be treated as an experiment and measured deliberately

As you move toward your future state, new problems will appear.
The vending machine provides a calm, repeatable way to return to them
—without overwhelm.

Contact

info@cultivatedmanagement.com

Placement in the Cultivated Library

This workshop sits within the Leadership & Work in Practice and Communication collections, aligned to the Idea → Value framework.