The worst plan
Flip it around: imagine how you'd ruin your goal, look in the mirror, and stop one thing. A playful reverse brainstorm. Making Space with TRIZ — a Liberating Structure.
Time
15–30 min
Group
1–6
Form
In small groups
Phase
Deepen · Close
Materials
Not needed
Step-by-step instructions
5 steps · 15–30 min
- Choose a goal or challenge.
- The worst plan: brainstorm as many ways as possible to guarantee the goal fails.
- Mirror: flip each bad idea into what you would actually do instead.
- Stop: check whether you're secretly already doing any of the “bad” things — and what you'll stop.
- Close with concrete actions.
Settings
- Goal / challenge — recommended (shown at each phase).
- Mode — alone or in groups (with a choice of grouping).
- Time per phase — optional, default 6 / 6 / 6 minutes.
Tip: a goal with AI
Out of ideas? Ask Microsoft Copilot: “Suggest a concrete goal or challenge about [topic] for students aged [age] to explore with 'the worst plan'.” Put it in the Goal / challenge field.
Tips for the facilitator
Thinking in reverse about your goal
The mirror: do we already do this?
A stuck group or resistance to change
Stop one thing instead of adding more
- A clear, positive goal — set it in the settings (e.g. "Students participate actively in the lesson"). Phrase it as the result you actually want.
- A choice of format: alone or in groups (groups share and bundle their lists).
- Three steps with time per step — set in the settings (default ≈ 18 min: the worst plan 6, the mirror 6, what do we stop 6).
- A light, safe atmosphere: the first step is meant to be exaggerated and funny.
- Alone → together: make a list alone first, then bundle into one shared list.
- More time on the mirror: the honest comparison is the heart of it; give it room if the group goes deep.
- Visual list: write the "worst plan" on the board, so everyone sees how absurd — and familiar — it is.
- End with a promise: have each person or group name their one "stop" out loud as a small commitment.
- Repeat later: revisit the "stop" after a few weeks — did we actually stop it?
- Team / department: "How do we make sure a meeting goes nowhere?" before improving meetings.
- Mentoring / class: "How do we guarantee group work fails?" to surface unspoken habits.
- Lesson design: "How do we guarantee students switch off?" to sharpen a lesson.
- Project: "How do we guarantee this project flops?" at the start.
- Citizenship: a playful angle on a behaviour or norm (e.g. "how to guarantee no one feels heard").
This activity is based on "Making Space with TRIZ" by Keith McCandless and Henri Lipmanowicz, one of the Liberating Structures. By first imagining how you would guarantee failure, what you unconsciously already do becomes visible — safely, because you criticise the worst scenario and no one personally. It develops honest self-reflection, letting go of counterproductive habits, and the courage to stop something rather than do more.
Pairs well with
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