When decisions feel uncertain, teams rely on familiar inputs. From our intro post in this series, we know that uncertainty is the new baseline. The teams thriving aren’t waiting for stability to return. They engage the people closest to the work for rich insights that uncover what’s really happening, identify blind spots, and inform decisions that stick.
But not all conversations lead to the kind of insight that helps. For people to share openly and honestly, they need to feel comfortable enough to show up authentically. That requires designing spaces that support candor and creativity.
We’ve always thrived on a good challenge, including bringing tough crowds together to think, ideate and co-create. Here’s a peek into how Aimee Vue, Senior Consultant, creates spaces that help turn input from surface-level feedback into clarity, alignment, and confidence.
Embrace vulnerability
During a design thinking course, I was asked to tell an embarrassing story before a brainstorming session. I shared how when I was six, my family took me to Disney World. I could still summon the smells of chlorinated water coming off the rides, the shiny lights of Main Street, and … the lines.
While waiting in line with my mom for Space Mountain, my curiosity got the better of me and I wandered up and down the line. I checked the height requirement at the front of the line, then hurried back and hugged my mom’s legs. As I looked up, I didn’t recognize the tender smile reflected back at me. It wasn’t my mom. She was giggling a half dozen feet behind waving for me to come back. I may have been tall enough to ride Space Mountain, but I wasn’t tall enough to see above the average adult’s waistline.
As our group shared stories, we laughed, we cringed, and we related to one another. Research backs why this activity is helpful: teams that share embarrassing stories generate more ideas and a wider range of them. Vulnerability doesn’t make the work less serious — it makes it more real.
The takeaway
Vulnerability opens something up inside of us and reminds us we’re human. When we feel comfortable enough to be human, we’re more likely to be creative, empathetic, and honest. Vulnerability creates the trust and openness teams need to have real conversations. Those honest moments often spark the clarity that drives confident action.
Set the right tone
An important part of a meeting or work session is recognizing that people are coming in with a range of mindsets and baggage — from late childcare drop-off to horrible traffic to a poor earnings call or change in an important business partnership. Sometimes the most generous thing we can do is start five minutes late, open with a lighthearted prompt, or include a break for that third cup of coffee.
We often use icebreaker questions that let people share about themselves in a fun and unexpected way:
- What’s your forecast coming in today?
- What Kermit the Frog are you feeling like today?
- If you could delegate one part of your morning routine, what would it be?
Sometimes connection comes from the smallest moments. During a break in a client meeting, a side conversation about cereal — Cocoa Puffs vs. Chex vs. Cap’n Crunch — turned into a bonding moment. For our next early morning session, I surprised the group with a cereal buffet featuring those same options. It was a small gesture, but the effect was big. The laughter and nostalgia that followed softened the group, and conversations flowed more easily when we got to the heart of the work.
The takeaway
Small gestures can quickly set the tone. The key is to treat creativity not as a break from work, but as a bridge into it. It helps remind us to be present, build relationships, and that we are more than just roles in a meeting. That human connection fuels collaboration and helps teams reach clarity faster.
Design with empathy
Designing with empathy means shaping meetings and workshops so people feel understood, included, and heard. It’s about how we prepare, ask questions, and engage participants. Empathy isn’t about being “nice.” It’s about listening with genuine curiosity and inviting people to share from lived experiences, not just job titles.
At a workshop a few years ago, a facilitator opened with: “You are only afraid of the people you don’t know.” That line came back to me as we planned a session for two teams that barely spoke and didn’t trust each other. We had originally designed it as a decision-making meeting, but after pre-interviews revealed underlying tension, we didn’t want this meeting to cause harm. We shifted the purpose to a discussion-heavy meeting focused on how they work together and created space to work through the tension. As facilitators, it’s our job to notice what’s really needed and if we did not hear the tension, we would’ve pushed for decisions the group wasn’t ready to make.
Designing for empathy can take many forms:
- Sharing agendas and meeting details in advance so team members can prepare.
- Inviting multiple ways to contribute — drawing, writing, speaking, listening.
- Asking open-ended questions that encourage storytelling instead of yes/no answers.
The takeaway
Designing with empathy means listening for what’s really needed and shaping the session to meet people where they are, so honest conversations can uncover insights, challenge assumptions, and lead to better, more grounded decisions.
Bringing it together
When we embrace vulnerability, set the right tone, and design with empathy, we create conditions where input becomes more than surface-level feedback. It helps leaders and teams to move decisions forward with confidence.
As you’re thinking about your next meeting or workshop, try one small thing: a playful prompt, a brief pause, or an activity that encourages openness. See how it shifts the energy and deepens the conversation.
In our next post, we’ll explore how to move from gathering input to taking action: clarifying how voices will be used, who makes the final call, and when consensus is necessary.
