Nightmare Scenarios

Surface the risks and fears worth acting on.

What’s the worst thing that could happen in your business? What keeps you up at night? This proactive activity invites participants to share their fears and risks, revealing problems to be solved and perceptions to be tackled.

Type
Discussion
Time
30 minutes
Group size
4-12 people
Best as
Group exercise
In depth

A little more detail.

We pair up participants and invite to share their "nightmare scenarios". These could be in the form of general concerns about existing projects or situations, or worries about future events - either fixed or potential.

Outcomes

What you'll leave with.

BRIEF Facilitation notes

How to run it.

When to use it

Use Nightmare Scenarios to surface the worries and risks a team is carrying. In pairs, people share what keeps them up at night, which turns private anxieties into problems the group can act on or put in perspective.

Use it when

  • You want to identify risks early so they can be mitigated.
  • Concerns are being held privately and would be healthier out in the open.
  • A team benefits from naming fears and having others offer perspective.

Not the right tool when

  • You want to explore a wider range of possible futures. Use Scenario Planning.
  • The session needs to end on commitments and momentum. Use Make It So.
Used in

Workshops that feature this tool.

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Use it with your team

This tool works best in a well-facilitated room.

Using this tool with a skilled facilitator means that discussions are focused, time is used efficiently, and the group moves toward consensus, making the session productive and impactful.