INTERACTIVE TRIZ
TRIZ is an acronym that stands for a Russian phrase: “Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch.” In English, this translates into “Inventive Theory of Problem Solving.” The idea behind a TRIZ is to put a critical lens on thinking about how to create a system or process that is designed to fail. An Interactive TRIZ is acting out all of the ways a system or process can possibly fail due to individual or team behaviours and communication. Use this activity to help identify ways to address a particular issue you are trying to solve in your own setting.
Source: Adapted from Liberating Structures
What to do
- Divide participants into groups.
- In each group, decide on a topic you would like to act out. Remember that your TRIZ is about how to get unwanted results. For example, a TRIZ question could be: How will we ensure a patient and/or their family members feel as unwelcome as possible?
- Divide your group in two and decide which half will be actors, and which half will be observers.
- Define which role each actor will play (e.g., patient, nurse, doctor, unit clerk, family member, etc.). Identify each member with a name tag (e.g., Nurse, Patient, Clerk, etc.).
- Before starting, reflect on some actions, behaviours, or traits that will ensure an unwanted result.
- Act out all of the things each assigned role can do to achieve the unwanted result. Be creative! Be extreme! Make yourself laugh!
- Debrief as a team. Allow observers to provide feedback and an opportunity to suggest things that could ensure even more unwanted results.
- Switch positions, and ask the observers to become actors. However, this time the group will ensure 100% of the time that they get the desired result! They will paint a picture of an ideal, reliable, and safe system.
- Again, debrief as a team. Allow the observers to provide feedback and suggest things, phrases, or behaviours that could ensure desired results are achieved more often.
Debrief
(following the activity)
Debriefing (100% unwanted behaviours):
- Are we currently doing any of the unwanted things, even if only in a minor way or a small percentage of the time?
- Is there anything that we never EVER do?
- What actions can we commit to avoiding altogether?
- What can we commit to doing?
Debriefing (100% desired behaviours):
- Are there one or two ideas that emerged from this exercise that we can really focus on as a team?
- What will we do to avoid unwanted behaviour and role model desired actions and behaviours?
- What strategies and support can we use as a team to embed the desired actions in our day-to-day work?