A frustrated CEO, a legacy system no one liked, and a looming contract deadline — this episode unpacks the story of how one team broke out of vendor-driven inertia and took back control of their tech strategy. What started as confusion and friction turned into clarity and confidence, all through the power of intentional facilitation and a tightly structured two-day workshop.
You'll hear how a group of cross-functional stakeholders aligned on priorities, identified risky assumptions, and rapidly shaped a new path forward — including a validated RFP and scoring rubric — in just 16 hours. This episode is packed with practical tips for anyone facing a big, high-stakes decision with too many options and too little time.
Inside the episode...
A CEO's challenge with legacy tech and vendor pressure
How a two-day workshop turned chaos into clarity
The role of facilitation in accelerating strategic alignment
Stack ranking, 2x2 matrices, and other prioritization techniques
Why solo work before group discussion makes a huge difference
Designing better user stories from the ground up
Using ChatGPT to draft faster, better RFPs and rubrics
How to spot and de-risk your most dangerous assumptions
Tactical facilitation tips for running your own workshop
The impact of intentional structure, breaks, and focus
Mentioned in this episode
ChatGPT
RFP (Request for Proposal) templates and scoring rubrics
Integral's Plus/Delta/Learn framework
Facilitation techniques like 2x2 matrices, stack ranking, dot voting
Data integration planning
Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge.
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