How can you create a sense of urgency and ownership in a large group session for business innovation?

1 Define the challenge

Before you invite your participants to join your LGF session, you need to clearly define the challenge or opportunity that you want to address. This will help you set the scope, goals, and expectations of the session, as well as communicate the value and relevance of the topic to your potential attendees. You can use a simple statement that summarizes the problem, the context, the desired outcome, and the urgency of the situation. For example, "How can we reduce our carbon footprint by 50% in the next five years while maintaining our competitive edge?"

3 Invite the right people

Another important factor that can influence the sense of urgency and ownership in your LGF session is the selection of your participants. You want to invite people who have a stake in the challenge, who can contribute diverse perspectives and expertise, and who are willing and able to take action. You also want to consider the size and composition of your group, and how you can create a safe and inclusive space for everyone. You can use criteria such as relevance, influence, diversity, and availability to identify and recruit your participants.

4 Set the tone

The way you start your LGF session can have a significant impact on how your participants feel and behave throughout the process. You want to set a tone that is positive, engaging, and energizing, but also realistic, respectful, and responsible. You can do this by welcoming your participants, introducing yourself and the facilitators, explaining the purpose and agenda of the session, highlighting the benefits and challenges of the topic, and establishing some ground rules and expectations. You can also use icebreakers, warm-ups, or stories to build rapport and trust among your participants.

5 Facilitate the dialogue

As a facilitator, your role is to support and stimulate the dialogue among your participants, not to dominate or dictate it. You want to create a dialogue that is productive, creative, and meaningful, but also respectful, constructive, and accountable. You can do this by asking open-ended and provocative questions, listening actively and empathically, summarizing and synthesizing key points, acknowledging and appreciating contributions, managing conflicts and disagreements, and challenging assumptions and biases. You can also use visual aids, props, or games to enhance the dialogue and keep it lively.

6 Celebrate the outcomes

The last step of your LGF session is to celebrate the outcomes and acknowledge the efforts of your participants. You want to create a sense of accomplishment and pride, but also a sense of commitment and ownership. You can do this by reviewing and reflecting on the results and learnings of the session, highlighting the achievements and improvements, thanking and congratulating your participants, and inviting them to share their feedback and suggestions. You can also use rewards, recognition, or follow-ups to sustain the momentum and action.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?