Visioning Workshop Design & Facilitation
Crafting the Future of PMI's Infinity AI Platform
About the Project
Client: Project Management Institute (PMI)
Project Type: Strategic Vision Workshop Design & Facilitation
The Ask: Design and facilitate a comprehensive 2-day workshop to develop a unified vision and strategic roadmap for Infinity, PMI's generative AI platform for project management
My Role: Lead Workshop Designer & Facilitator
Project Time: 1 month for planning and preparation, 2-day execution (January 2025)
Background
PMI's Infinity platform was at a pivotal moment, requiring a clear strategic direction to unify both B2B and B2C offerings. The product had a complex history with previous less successful workshop attempts, and the organization needed a fresh approach to kickstart a new era. Additionally, the workshop needed to serve as immersive onboarding for the newly appointed Director of Infinity and Infinity Core manager.
Approach
Working within significant constraints, I designed a comprehensive workshop experience that balanced structure with flexibility, and strategic thinking with practical outcomes.
Workshop Planning & Design
I developed the workshop framework by drawing from multiple sources:
Input from key stakeholders across the organization
IDEO-U courses on "Designing Strategy" and "Activating Strategy"
Established strategic frameworks
AI assistance from Claude for content development
The workshop design addressed several key challenges:
Managing a hybrid environment with both in-person and remote participants
Accommodating a large, cross-functional group of 40+ attendees
Balancing the needs of individual contributors, managers, and senior leadership
Creating a psychologically safe environment considering the product's delicate history
Workshop Structure & Flow
The 2-day agenda followed a logical progression:
Day 1: Deep Dive & Vision Foundations
Setting Context: Product history, lessons learned, and current positioning
Customer Deep Dive: Separate explorations of B2B and B2C needs
Vision Development: Parallel tracks for B2B and B2C segments
Day 2: Vision Synthesis & Strategic Direction
Unified Vision Development: Finding common ground between B2B and B2C
Strategic Positioning: Competitive landscape and differentiation strategy
Go-Forward Strategy: Metrics framework and capability assessment
Closing & Next Steps: Actionable follow-up plan with clear ownership
Facilitation Innovations
To ensure productive engagement across a hybrid environment, I implemented several innovative approaches:
Carefully curated cross-functional breakout groups to maximize diverse perspectives
A comprehensive MIRO board to level the playing field between in-person and remote participants
"Pineapple" code word system to respectfully table tangential discussions
Structured activities with clear templates to guide discussions
Flexibility to adjust Day 2 agenda based on Day 1 outcomes
Impact
The workshop successfully delivered its primary objectives:
Strategic Outcomes
Created a unified vision statement that addressed both B2B and B2C needs
Developed a value proposition canvas highlighting Infinity's unique market position
Identified top 3 sustainable differentiators in the competitive AI landscape
Established a metrics framework with a north star metric and segment-specific success measures
Articulated strategic pillars to guide future development
Organizational Outcomes
Successfully onboarded new leadership into the product's history and future direction
Built cross-functional alignment on priorities and strategic direction
Created momentum for the product team with clear next steps and ownership
Established a foundation for future, more focused strategic discussions
Deliverables
One-page vision summary document
Prioritized capability roadmap organized into now/next/later buckets
Executive summary for broader organizational communication
Next Steps
Following the workshop, I developed a structured follow-up plan:
Synthesizing workshop outputs into an executive summary and vision documents
Scheduling additional focused workshops for pre-mortem analysis and technical feasibility
Reflection
The workshop served as the foundation for ongoing strategic work, providing both immediate clarity and a framework for continued development of the Infinity platform's future direction.
The workshop showcased my versatility as a CX strategist through my ability to lead strategic product vision work by designing and facilitating a complex multi-day workshop that successfully united diverse stakeholders around a cohesive AI product vision. I facilitated productive discussions, translating abstract ideas into actionable business strategies while navigating organizational and technical complexities in a high-stakes environment.