explore · Team Building, Ideation, Problem Solving · 480 min · 2-40 people · medium energy

Exploration Days (Hackathons/ShipIt Days)

Exploration Days are dedicated periods for employees to self-educate, experiment with new ideas, and develop themselves through hands-on projects. This practice fosters continuous learning, innovation, and team satisfaction by providing a structured yet flexible environment for exploration.

When to use Exploration Days (Hackathons/ShipIt Days)

Use Exploration Days when you want to encourage employee-driven innovation, address technical debt, or boost team morale after a major project milestone. It's particularly useful for organizations seeking to foster a culture of continuous learning and experimentation.

What it solves

Stagnant innovation, lack of employee engagement in learning, mounting technical debt, and post-project burnout.

How to run Exploration Days (Hackathons/ShipIt Days), step by step

  1. Announce Exploration Days and set a theme (optional). (15 min)
  2. Teams or individuals form and brainstorm project ideas. (30 min)
  3. Participants work on their projects, experimenting and learning. (6 hours)
  4. Teams present their projects and learnings to the wider group. (1.5 hours)
  5. Celebrate successes and identify next steps for promising projects. (30 min)

Materials needed

  • Project resources (software, hardware, etc.)
  • Collaboration tools (whiteboard, online document)
  • Presentation equipment
  • Snacks and refreshments

Facilitator tips

  • Remind participants that Exploration Days are not just about product development; encourage them to hack the office, culture, or processes.
  • Emphasize that the goal is learning and experimentation, not necessarily perfection.

Common pitfalls

  • Participants getting carried away with overly ambitious projects. Remind them of the time constraint and encourage them to focus on achievable goals.
  • Mandatory participation leading to disengagement. Make it clear that Exploration Days are optional.

Variations

  • Theme-based Exploration Days: Focus on a specific area or challenge.
  • Skill-based Exploration Days: Encourage participants to learn and share new skills.
  • Remote Exploration Days: Adapt the format for remote teams using virtual collaboration tools.

Running it online or hybrid

Utilize virtual collaboration tools like Sococo for virtual offices and breakout rooms to mimic a physical hackathon environment. Encourage online communication and idea sharing.

What it produces

Working prototypes, process improvements, cultural initiatives, or documented learnings from experiments.

Origin

Adapted from Management 3.0 — source

Build a session around Exploration Days (Hackathons/ShipIt Days)

METODIC places Exploration Days (Hackathons/ShipIt Days) inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.

Generate a session with Exploration Days (Hackathons/ShipIt Days) · Try METODIC free