Catalytic Thinking is a way to make positive change in the world. We use it any time we are planning something.
What do we need?
- Time
- Gathering space
- A way to take and share notes with the group (optional: Catalytic Thinking Note Sheet)
- A proposal
Who do we need?
- Facilitator – The Facilitator helps the group follow the steps in order.
- Recorder – The Recorder takes notes and shares them, as needed.
- Participants – The Participants talk about each question of Catalytic Thinking.
How do we do it?
- The Facilitator shares the proposal.
- The Facilitator asks: “What is the current situation?” The Participants talk about the proposal and its context.
- The Recorder shares what the Participants observed about the current situation. The Facilitator asks: “What values and strengths are part of the current situation?” The Participants talk about what is important to them in the current situation.
- The Facilitator asks: “Who would we impact by changing the current situation?” The Participants talk about the people closest to the situation. Then, they follow the impact wider and wider.
- The Recorder shares the list of people we would impact. The Facilitator asks: “What would it take to involve these people?” We make a plan to involve the people we would impact and carry it out.
- The Facilitator asks: “What would success look like?” Each Participant answers this question for themselves. No one answers for another group or person.
- The Facilitator asks: “What would that success make possible?” The Participants talk about where success could lead.
- The Facilitator asks “And what would that make possible?” The Facilitator repeats this question until the Participants can’t answer it anymore. The last answer is the best possible outcome for changing our current situation.
- The Facilitator asks: “What conditions will lead to our best outcome?” The Participants talk about the things that need to be in place for us to succeed.
- The Recorder shares the list of conditions. The Participants decide which would need to happen first. The Facilitator asks: “What will lead to that condition?” The group repeats this step until the answers start to sound like actions.
- The Recorder shares the last list of conditions. The Participants decide which would need to happen first. The Facilitator asks: “What actions would create that condition?”
- The Recorder shares the list of actions. The Participants review the list. The Facilitator asks: “What do we need to take these actions? Who has those things?” We make a plan to get the things we need and carry it out.
Learn more
Creating the Future – “Catalytic Thinking: A Framework for Creating and Scaling Powerful Results”