The Stages of Our Process

Laying out a Next Agenda Challenge End to End

 
Next Agenda has developed a step-by-step process that follows a common sense trajectory of how to solve any big, complex challenge. We go through a series of stages, with some done primarily in physical meetings, and others primarily online. In fact, one of the key concepts is to weave between the two worlds over the course of the project, leveraging the best of both worlds.  
 
An ideal process like this needs to be long enough to accomplish serious work, but short enough to make sure this does not become an academic exercise, but is geared to action. The ideal timeframe is roughly nine months, and no more than a year. 
 
  • Gather to Frame: You almost always need to kickoff a challenge with a physical meeting that frames the challenge, by starting to define the problem and the vision. 

 

  • Brainstorm Online: Then you need a period to brainstorm around both the problem and vision, but also start to brainstorm around possible solutions. This can be done primarily online. 

 

  • Gather to Integrate: At a certain point the brainstorming needs to be reigned in and the group needs to take stock and regroup. Here you begin to connect the dots between what you have, and start to identify what you don’t have - the gaps. This is best done in a physical meeting in the middle of the process. 

 

  • Develop Online: The online world is better suited to filling out the gaps and evolving the ideas of possible solutions that were crystalized in the physical meeting. With longer periods of time and the scale of numbers of participants, you can start to get a good array of options, which you can then begin to prioritize and rank. 

 

  • Gather to Choose: Making tough decisions around what are the best solutions is best done in a face-to-face setting. Inevitably there will be conflict of some sort and people need to see each other to best work through it. 

 

  • Refine Online: The final set of solutions need to be prepared for presentation to larger audiences and that is best done with more time through the web. 

 

  • Gather to Present: The launch of those solutions, or what could also be considered initiatives, should be done with people present to celebrate. A concrete plan has been identified and the initiatives are ready to be activated.