5.5 Islands in the Sky – a case study

Developing the approach

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we identified a need to find new ways of working that would be fit for the future. We used pulse surveys to gather colleagues’ views on how they would like to work in the future and run ‘What’s our Why?’ sessions. To complement these activities, we decided to look for an innovative approach to help structure our thoughts and conversations about the future, while working in uncertain times.

Dr Matt Finch was engaged in 2021, to introduce a future thinking methodology to help people think and talk about the future in a meaningful way. Phase 1 workshops were run with project teams and strategic leaders to test the Islands in the Sky method. These demonstrated an awareness and appetite to connect with innovative and practical responses to construct robust and authentically equitable futures. These outcomes helped to inform the design of test and learn experiments for hybrid working and physical workspace design with the Open University.

In 2022, we engaged AZB Selva (Murray Cook, Zindzi Cresswell and Brendan Fitzgerald) to work with us on Phase 2, to further develop the Islands in the Sky methodology and plan for the future.

Phase 2 focused on creating and embedding a toolkit for individuals and teams to have conversations about the future.

The main aims were to:

• Encourage a creative and imaginative approach for foresight and futures planning.
• Foster resilience and encourage engagement with the near future.
• Build confidence and capability for managing uncertain futures.

The process

Over a period of five weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic, we ran remote-only workshops for colleagues from across the Open University. The learning from these sessions was used to develop the Islands in the Sky toolkit in Miro, an online collaborative whiteboard, and guidance presented in a PDF.

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Figure 28 Miro environment for the Islands in the Sky workshops

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Figure showing the miro environment used for holding Islands in the Sky workshops. It shows the different stages and the activities participants had to complete.

Figure 28 Miro environment for the Islands in the Sky workshops

We asked participants to begin by deciding on their focal issue and time horizon. The focal issue is something that they wish to explore or to make a decision about. They then start mapping their transactional environment and identify the internal and external entities they interact with as they carry out their work, and the type of relationship they have with them – either functional or social. 

Participants then considered the uncertainties which shape, or drive decisions made by the entities they interact with. Then they focused on factors or forces that can’t be fully predicted in advance, and that might radically change their way of working in time to come. 

Different combinations of these factors were then chosen by participants to explore and sketch different scenarios, and how they may impact relationships and working environments of the future. Participants thought about what the factors might look like in relation to their chosen time horizon.

Participants were then asked to consider the critical issues they identified, the context they were operating in and the impact of these on their focal issue. They were then asked if the focal issue has changed at all? What should they stop, start or continue now, that may help them act if/when change happens – what needs to be in place?

Lastly, time was allocated to review the experience, and agree what actions they might take away. The outputs from the workshops where then summarised and collated into reports to feedback to the project sponsor and arrange ongoing conversations with workshop participants.

In the video Anne and Murray reflect on the experience of running the workshops.

Download this video clip.Video player: Video 18

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Transcript: Video 18 Experience of using Islands in the Sky

ANNE GAMBLES

We put together a proposal or a brief for the work. Just the way things happened, we ended up iterating on that, and working quite closely, I think, in collaboration with Murray and his team to develop our brief. Well, our original thinking was that we'd maintain the focus on hybrids. But actually, we are Open University future ways of working project had moved on somewhat.

And we thought, actually, we would be better placed to refocus the development of this tool, this methodology, more widely, so it's not just focused on hybrid and future working. But it can be used in a variety of contexts. So, there was a bit of iteration there, in collaboration with Murray, just to check the thinking against the theory, with which they are far more expert than we are. So, there was that.

And then I think when we started up the project, in the lead-up to it, we had quite a few conversations between ourselves here in LDS and myself, the project manager, and my small project team met fairly regularly with Murray and team-- there were three of them all together, and discuss the brief and how best to take it forward, and I guess made sure that we were all in the same place, really, in terms of what it was we're aiming to achieve. We're aiming to develop a methodology, a toolkit, that could be used by managers, facilitators within LDS, but also develop a standalone aspect to it as well-- a simple version of the Islands in the Sky tool. So yeah, it's really important to have those early conversations, make sure we're all on the same page.

MURRAY COOK:

Part of our activity was to experiment and see what worked. And what we found as we went through those experiments was there were different questions people wanted to ask and answer to come back to the user purpose. Methodology works across those questions, but people have different questions to answer or ask, if you like.

So, Anne's point was, it was very iterative. It was very collaborative. And what we're trying to do is develop a tool which works for a whole range of questions, a whole range of circumstances. I think we've done that.

And what I really liked was the fact that we had really diverse views where we used the tool. We have an approach which is around how we will get, if you like, the OSPA approach or scenarios programme approach. We also have a tool which is much quicker where we can have a conversation which is part around performance management, part around futures, part around what to do next.

So far, it's a really powerful iteration, and we got to a point where we have a tool that works across, if you like, populations. One of the things we have to think about is that where we do work, it's not always consensus. We need to bring in different voices, quieter voices, diverse voices.

ANNE GAMBLES:

We asked people to start by thinking about or reviewing what's their why, what's the purpose for their area, their service area, their team who their stakeholders are, their main objectives and so on-- their outcomes they're aiming to achieve and using that to really focus in on what their focal issue is, the issue, the topic that they want to explore in the workshop.

MURRAY COOK:

I think one of the things we did which helped people actually was focus on what's our why-- why are we here, because often, we go through life, don't we, and we do thing. We do transactional stuff, whether it be deliver an objective.

And one of the things I think worked in this environment was what's our why, why are we doing this. Why should we be doing this? Should we be doing this? Should we stop this perhaps, or should do it faster?

ANNE GAMBLES:

I think the workshop had a gentle approach, really, to that. We eased people in. We were very mindful that we were doing this in an online environment, and that we were working with people who didn't necessarily know each other or the technology that we're using.

We used the Miro online whiteboard. And so, we gave people a little bit of prework, I guess, if they wanted to and they had time to. We gave them a link so that they could explore some online learning materials, which are just 10 minutes of exposure, to how to use Miro.

And then in the workshop sessions, we generally started with an introductory activity, where people could talk, do a bit of an icebreaker and introduce themselves, and have a little bit of a play in Miro in a safe kind of way, so they could have a bit of experience of how to create a sticky note and write things on it. It was a learning experience, I would say. Running workshops in Miro online was a learning experience. I think one of the key things we learnt was to share the link to the Miro board and enable people to navigate it for themselves.

MURRAY COOK:

One of the things we talked about in quick depth actually was almost the behaviours we expect. So, we expect people to have an equal voice. We expect people to contribute and be there. Actually, we expect people to, if you like, have respect for those few points. I find it's quite important because the future is not here yet. It's not defined. And people have very often quite strong views about what the future should look like. The future is agnostic to you, so it's about exploring that future which is not what you want it to be.

So, one of the things we did, or talked about, was how we try and let those voices come through. And equally, when you're on a call or a Miro board or a virtual environment, some people are really-- if you like, some people are quieter. And if you're in a room, you can spot those people. You can try to bring them into conversation.

In a virtual environment, it's a little bit more difficult. So partly, trying to get them brought into that conversation, I felt was really important. And we saw that. And I think workshop 3, Anne, where we had a group which were quite quiet to start off with, but the confidence to talk about what they thought for the future. And I was so pleased by that-- really pleased.

And I think we had a couple of people who came back a couple times who started to refine their views. So, they said first time round, it was like, OK, what's going on? Second then, write, oh, actually, I've been reflecting on this.

And suddenly, I'm see something different happening in the world because I'm joining up the dots. I'm joining up the conversation. I felt that was very powerful as well.

End transcript: Video 18 Experience of using Islands in the Sky

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Video 18 Experience of using Islands in the Sky

Outcomes

The initial benefits from using Islands in the Sky are the diverse voices, experience and opportunities that we have collated from the workshops. These have been used by the Directorate and senior leadership group to inform unit planning and draw on the evidence to consider risk management, business continuity planning and strategic directions.

The Islands in the Sky toolkit can now be used by teams according to their planning/business cycle and can be used alongside our ‘What’s our Why?’ toolkit. In order to do this and embed the learning further, we are developing further resources. This includes a programme to develop an in-depth understanding of the methodology for change champions, to enable others to lead workshops for organisation-wide strategic programmes across The Open University.

Reflection and learning

In the video Anne and Murray share their reflections on the benefits and opportunities of using this method.

Download this video clip.Video player: Video 19

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Transcript: Video 19 Benefits and opportunities

ANNE GAMBLES:

I think Islands in the Sky is an opportunity to make our work, make our thinking more visible, actually, so that the things we've captured in these workshops can be shared more widely. Island in the Sky is a very creative, visual tool and documents our thinking at that point in time.

And it's shareable. Certainly, the way we've developed it in a whiteboard, you can share with your stakeholder groups, or talk them through the process you went through and your thinking and get their feedback on it. And I think that's a really helpful thing to do. And perhaps even helps them understand how you've got to where you've got to in your thinking, why you are proposing, say, a change, why you are proposing, why you should actually stop doing something, you need to start focusing on something else because you can see this particular set of factors that are coming up.

MURRAY COOK:

One of the great things around this approach is visibility of thinking. Because it's there in the process, very visible as well, and visualised, which I think is very helpful. What I think I took, I don’t know about yourself, from sessions was having that mix of individuals start talking about collaboration.

So, I mean, it's part of the whole year. I mean, it's part of the whole year. But our challenges sort of look the same. Therefore, how do you work together to get that better solution, as opposed to me working in access, or IT, or LDS, or actually, if we can have that conversation, across the organisation, much more powerful.

ANNE GAMBLES:

I think it helps towards us feeling like we are actually just one team, aren't we? And perhaps one of the most effective ways of working is to identify who you need to have to help you address an issue, solve a problem, who best to have in a room to have a conversation about something, and to have the freedom to be able to do that is really powerful.

MURRAY COOK:

I'm in a safe space as well. One of the things I'm looking about is this tool gives you a safe space. It's not about somebody having the correct view, if you like, or an official view. It gives you an opportunity to have that conversation, abundant conversation as well, which says I'm not quite sure about this, or can we try this, do we experiment?

I think it's really important, as we go through these really turbulent conditions, people have different views, different ideas. And it's about trying to surface those ideas and explore them, actually.

ANNE GAMBLES:

So, I think it's looking at the outcome of the workshop or set of workshops and how they relate to your current plans, your current objectives, your KPIs, OKRs, looking at how they need to be tweaked, or stopped, how activities need to be stopped, started, done differently, maybe. And yeah, who needs to be involved? Have you got the right people on the right activities in the right areas? Is it structured correctly? That can be part of it as well, actually.

MURRAY COOK:

One of the things I'd hope and, again, for Anne to feedback is that some of this activity makes you more agile. Because you're thinking about what may happen, may plausibly happen. So, you start to think about how you either open up some options or develop some skills in space. Because often we think about strategy as very linear, don't we, year one, year two, year three. Of course, we're living in a very turbulent world.

So, one of the things I'd hope would be that this activity starts thinking, OK, there may be something happening over here. Let's explore that. We build some capability in that space, not necessarily invest lots of money or time, but exploring. So, one of the things I'd hoped for is that may happen, because you're seeing the world a little bit differently and you're starting to explore different parts of that world.

End transcript: Video 19 Benefits and opportunities

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Video 19 Benefits and opportunities

An important point that underpins the Island in the Sky method is that you cannot look at the future once. Futures work requires you to come back again and again, as, not only does the world change, but people’s views and information they can share changes. It is thought that by embedding this methodology into our strategic planning cycles it can become a very powerful tool to continually consider what we need to start or stop doing.

In order to develop the approach further, we gathered feedback from the workshop participants, and found the key themes that emerged where:

• They enjoyed how collaborative the workshops can be.
• They valued hearing the views of colleagues from other areas of the university as this helped them to piece together a puzzle that had been difficult to make sense of.
• It created a safe space to talk about and exchange shared experiences of the uncertainties they were facing as individuals within the workplace, but also how they felt about the organisational uncertainties.
• More positive outcomes could be achieved by adapting the workshops to reflect the participants, and focusing workshops for different groups, for example:
  • senior leaders only
  • mix job role
  • mixed unit groups
  • focusing on those involved in strategic priorities, like developing our understanding of inclusion, by offering a safe space for specific groups to be open about how they feel we as an organisation can be more inclusive and diverse.

The feedback and reflecting on our experience of developing Phase 2 has been invaluable for shaping the development of this approach. By having different conversations within The Open University about our opportunities, uncertainties, our future, and how we can support the wider purpose of the organisation, can help to develop a shared understanding.