open · Icebreaker · 10–20 min · 4-20 people · low energy

Conversation Starter: What Will Be Obsolete?

This icebreaker prompts participants to think critically about the future and share their predictions about what will become obsolete. It's effective for stimulating conversation and generating interesting insights.

When to use Conversation Starter: What Will Be Obsolete?

Use this method to spark curiosity and encourage participants to think outside the box, especially in innovation workshops or strategic planning sessions.

What it solves

Lack of engagement, difficulty generating new ideas.

How to run Conversation Starter: What Will Be Obsolete?, step by step

  1. Introduce the activity and explain the prompt. (2 minutes)
  2. Each participant shares their prediction about what will be obsolete in 10 years. (8 minutes)
  3. Facilitate a brief discussion about the predictions. (10 minutes)

Materials needed

  • None

Facilitator tips

  • Encourage participants to be creative and think beyond obvious answers.
  • Facilitate a discussion about the implications of the predictions.

Common pitfalls

  • Participants struggling to come up with ideas.
  • Provide examples to get them started, such as 'landline phones' or 'physical books'.

Variations

  • Ask participants to predict what new technologies or trends will emerge in the next 10 years.

Running it online or hybrid

Use a virtual whiteboard or shared document to collect predictions and facilitate discussion.

What it produces

A list of predictions about future obsolescence.

Origin

Shared by Julie Lavergne on LinkedIn — source

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