The agile Speed Boat method: Definition and example for leading a workshop

Understanding the Agile Speed Boat Method

Speed Boat: Definition and Origins

Speed Boat is a fun, participative continuous improvement technique used in agile methodologies, particularly Scrum. Its principle is simple: the activity uses a maritime metaphor where the boat represents the project or team, navigating toward an objective (the island) while overcoming various obstacles.

This method's origins trace back to 2006 when Luke Hohmann designed the "Innovation Games," of which Speed Boat is one of twelve games. Since then, this technique has spread widely in agile circles due to its simplicity and effectiveness, especially in retrospectives.

At Sales Odyssey, we use it to conduct year-end retrospectives and as a thinking framework when defining upcoming marketing and sales strategy. Combined with SMART objectives, this method delivers excellent results.

The Different Elements of Speed Boat

The Paradise Island

In the Speed Boat method, the paradise island symbolizes the objective the team wants to achieve. This objective can vary according to project needs: implementing new functionality, improving an existing process, etc. The island represents the desired future vision, the destination point for all the team's efforts. It's generally defined at the project's beginning to share a vision and anticipate its implementation.

• Clarify the objective: Before starting the exercise, it's crucial to properly define the island—the objective the team wants to reach. This ensures all team members are aligned on the same vision.

• Visualize the objective: The island is often drawn on a board or poster to help the team visualize the objective. It's typically represented as an idyllic place, symbolizing project success.

• Direct efforts toward the objective: The island serves as a guide throughout the project. It helps direct team efforts and evaluate progress toward the objective.

The Obstacles

In the Speed Boat method, obstacles are symbolized by reefs or rocks. These elements represent the various challenges, constraints, or problems that can hinder the team's progress toward their objective. They can also include potential risks that might arise in the future.

Visualizing these obstacles allows the team to identify, understand, and prioritize them. We're talking about EXTERNAL factors here, such as market changes or regulatory constraints.

Obstacle identification is a collaborative process: each team member can propose elements on Post-its, which are then grouped and discussed collectively. This approach encourages participant expression and promotes a comprehensive view of challenges to overcome.

The Favorable Winds

Favorable winds in the Speed Boat methodology symbolize elements that have helped or can help the project progress more quickly. We're talking about EXTERNAL elements here, such as favorable market trends or new, more favorable legislation. These key success factors are generally identified by workshop participants, reflecting on what has worked for them and what could help them reach their objective.

The Anchors

In the Speed Boat method, anchors symbolize elements that slow down the project or team's progression. These are INTERNAL factors within the company this time.

They can represent technical problems, internal conflicts, delivery delays, or any other factor that hinders project advancement. These elements are considered brakes because they impede the team's progress toward their objective.

Anchor identification is done collaboratively. Each team member is invited to share their perceptions of brakes on sticky notes that are then placed on the anchor.

The deeper the anchor is in the water (meaning the lower the sticky note is placed on the anchor), the more significant the brake's impact is considered.

This visualization of brakes facilitates team discussions and helps prioritize efforts to overcome these obstacles.

The Oars

The oars in the Speed Boat method symbolize the concrete actions implemented by the team to reach their objective—the paradise island. They represent collective and individual efforts, initiatives, and strategies adopted to overcome obstacles and move forward despite the anchors.

The oars can also symbolize the internal skills and resources mobilized to advance the project. Each team member can thus be assigned an oar, symbolizing their role and contribution to the project.

Oar identification is done collaboratively, with each participant having the opportunity to propose actions or resources to mobilize to move the boat forward. These proposals are then discussed and prioritized as a team, allowing definition of a concrete action plan to reach the paradise island.

Why Run a Speed Boat Workshop for Your Marketing and Sales Strategy?

The Speed Boat workshop is a valuable methodological tool for marketing and sales. Using a visual and collaborative approach, it facilitates identifying your organization's strengths and weaknesses. This workshop allows you to mobilize your team around a common objective, whether it's defining a vision, optimizing processes, or launching a new product.

Thanks to its simplicity and ease of facilitation, the Speed Boat workshop adapts to all contexts and can be implemented regardless of your project's stage. It also offers a structured framework to stimulate creativity and encourage constructive exchanges within your team. It's therefore an excellent way to:

• Unite your team and improve cohesion

• Facilitate decision-making

• Identify concrete actions to reach your objectives

Preparing and Running a Speed Boat Workshop

Before the Workshop: Speed Boat Preparation

Speed Boat workshop preparation begins with clearly defining the workshop's objectives. What problems need solving? What vision do you want to share? These objectives will guide the workshop's flow and help frame discussions.

Next, you need to choose a facilitator who will guide participants through the workshop. The facilitator must understand the Speed Boat method well and be capable of facilitating discussions.

You also need to plan the necessary materials. A large-format visual support to draw the Speed Boat, different colored sticky notes for ideas, obstacles, favorable winds, anchors and oars, and markers for writing.

For remote workshops, we recommend using Canva or Miro to work on a virtual whiteboard. It's very simple to use and you can easily prepare a template.

Finally, it's essential to carefully select participants. They should be involved in the project and represent different viewpoints to enrich discussions. The optimal number is between 5 and 12 participants.

• Objectives: clearly define the workshop objectives

• Facilitator: choose someone capable of guiding the workshop

• Materials: prepare sticky notes, markers, and visual support

• Participants: select relevant participants for the workshop

During the Workshop: Facilitating the Speed Boat Workshop

Speed Boat workshop facilitation begins by presenting the method to participants. Explain the meaning of each boat element and how they'll be used during the workshop. Then, start with an individual reflection session. Each participant notes their ideas on sticky notes, following the Speed Boat elements' order: objective (island), obstacles, favorable winds, anchors, and oars.

Next, organize a round-table session where everyone presents their ideas. After each presentation, the idea is placed in the right spot on the visual support. This encourages exchange and debate around ideas, allowing the group to align and define a common vision.

Finally, time is dedicated to identifying concrete actions to implement (oars) to overcome obstacles and reach the objective. These actions are then prioritized and planned, allowing definition of a clear action plan at the workshop's end.

After the Workshop: Capitalizing on Speed Boat

Following up on the Speed Boat workshop requires implementing the action plan defined during the session. Priority actions identified must be assigned to team members, ensuring everyone understands their role and associated expectations.

Regular monitoring of these actions' progress is also crucial to guarantee their completion and measure their impact on reaching the objective.

It's also valuable to organize a debrief a few weeks after the workshop to share initial feedback on implemented actions and adjust the action plan if necessary.

During this debrief, everyone can express their feelings and share suggestions for improving the process. This way, the Speed Boat workshop becomes a collective learning and continuous improvement tool, fueling team dynamics and progression toward the objective.

Leveraging Speed Boat Workshop Results: Marketing and Sales Example

Implementing an Action Plan to Combat Anchors

The anchors that are internal brakes and difficulties are efficiency gold mines. Your teams have identified dysfunctional processes or gaps: FILL THEM.

At Sales Odyssey, we consider that anchors identified each year-end must disappear within the following 12 months—any other result would be a failure.

This can translate into implementing new sales practices, optimizing sales processes, or launching an innovative marketing campaign. Each defined action must be precise, measurable, and assigned to a specific member or team to guarantee follow-up and completion.

The ultimate goal is to accelerate your project's progress by overcoming obstacles. The Speed ​​Boat workshop thus becomes a real lever for improving your sales and marketing performance.

Proposing Strategies That Exploit Favorable Winds

Thanks to the workshop, you've listed favorable winds you can leverage to facilitate reaching your objectives.

This can include launching new products to exploit a trend, adjusting communication strategy to align with these new market conditions.

Strengthen Identified Oars and Propose New Ones

Your team has identified strengths and resources they can rely on. This is precious. Management's job is to preserve them and multiply their impact.

This could involve having a top performer train colleagues on a subject where they've been identified as particularly effective, or better distributing content produced by marketing teams that's judged excellent quality.

Detail Your Team's Journey by Quarter and Leverage OKRs

If you want this all to work, you need to engage your teams daily and help them implement this action plan.

At Sales Odyssey, we use OKRs so each team member contributes to reaching company objectives without micromanaging them. OKRs are defined quarterly with monthly progress reviews on initiatives.