# Turning a seminar’s commitments into dated proposals

> A few months earlier, the managers of an IT department had made commitments. This day had to show what had really changed, then move forward on two issues: productivity and the relationship with the business. In the morning, teams shared their practices. In the afternoon, they turned six challenges into concrete proposals, each with an owner and a starting point.

*Real case, anonymised: the company name is invented.*

- Company (invented name) : Mutuelle Lisandre
- Sector : Mutual health insurance, IT department
- Size : A community of several dozen managers
- Format : One day
- Audience : The managers and leaders of an IT department, about ten teams, with newcomers who had not attended the previous seminar.
- URL : https://www.getflowdesign.com/en/cas-clients/dsi-engagements-propositions

## Context

- A first seminar had set commitments for each team. They needed to check whether those had held.
- The IT department has to become more productive, control its costs, take on AI and become a real partner to the business.
- The journey was designed with a partner firm. Flow Design handled the run sheet, production, signage and facilitation on the day.

## The challenge

Stop the second seminar from repeating the first. It had to start from the ground, from what had changed, and end with proposals precise enough to be launched, not with a new list of intentions.

## Design ideas

- **A replay for newcomers** : At the start, a reminder of the previous seminar lets newcomers catch up without slowing the others down.
- **Practices before ideas** : Each team presents a practice it has put in place, its effects on the team, quality and customer relations, and why it is worth passing on. The day starts from evidence.
- **Gains and pains** : In the afternoon, six challenges split into two themes, productivity and customer relations. Each group works on expected gains and pains, then frames challenges as “How might we…”.
- **Bees and keepers** : Halfway through, four “bees” from each group go and visit the others while two “keepers” stay behind to welcome visitors. A “phone a friend” option lets them call in an expert from another group.
- **Proposals as gifts** : Each group keeps three proposals and writes them on cards: we propose, done by, for, starting from. Then a ninety-second pitch.
- **An in-house welcome team** : Staff from the organisation are trained to run the welcome, the cloakroom and wayfinding. The seminar is also run by its own people.

## Run of show

- Morning · **Welcome and replay** : Badges, cloakroom, then the reminder of the previous seminar.
- **Practices put in place** : By team: the practice, its effects, why pass it on.
- **Sharing in plenary** : Practices travel between teams.
- Noon · **Lunch** : Teams regroup by challenge.
- Afternoon · **Gains and pains** : Six challenges, two themes, questions framed as “How might we…”.
- **Bees and keepers** : Some visit, others welcome, with a phone-a-friend if needed.
- **Three proposals** : On cards: what, by whom, for whom, starting from what.
- **Pitches** : Ninety seconds per group.

## Deliverables

- A collection of each team’s practices, with concrete examples: capacity planning built together, an accountability charter, AI in daily work, protected team time, moments to share successes.
- Proposals for each challenge, each with its owners, its beneficiaries and a starting point.
- All the day’s production: templates, signage, badges and run sheet.

## Key takeaways

- A follow-up seminar starts with evidence. Sharing what has been done gives credibility to what is about to be promised.
- A proposal that says “done by” and “starting from” is already half launched.
- When a partner firm owns the journey, our job is to make the day flow and the production flawless, so the substance comes through.

Related expertise : [Leadership offsites](https://www.getflowdesign.com/en/seminaire-de-direction), [Collective intelligence](https://www.getflowdesign.com/en/intelligence-collective), [Seminar facilitation](https://www.getflowdesign.com/en/facilitation-de-seminaire), [Support for consultants](https://www.getflowdesign.com/en/appui-aux-consultants)

---

Source: Flow Design, https://www.getflowdesign.com
Contact: victoire@getflowdesign.com, marie-violaine@getflowdesign.com, +33 6 72 15 94 77. Request a quote: https://www.getflowdesign.com/en/nous-contacter. Draft a run of show online: https://www.getflowdesign.com/en/concevoir-mon-seminaire.