Leaders: Unlock Team Creativity with Solution Sprints
The following story is not a Babylon Bee Article:
In 2023, New York City paid McKinsey & Company $1.6 million to offer recommendations on how to manage sidewalk trash. Their conclusion? Add more trash cans. Seriously.
It made headlines, not because the advice was wrong, but because the solution was obvious. Sanitation workers, small business owners, and residents could have told them the same thing — without the million-dollar price tag.
We laugh, but do we do follow the same pattern?
This example speaks to a pattern many leaders fall into: we assume solutions live in corner offices, board rooms, or consultant reports. But people in your organization doing the work already carry insight. The only question is whether we have systems that discover it.
If you’re leading a school, a nonprofit, or a mission-driven organization, chances are you’re carrying more than your share. You feel responsible for solving the same persistent challenges over and over again. Society, donors, stakeholders likely think you should be responsible for anything and everything too. You likely don’t need another strategic plan, action committee, or series of meetings. You need a way to hear your people, trust their thinking, and move toward action together.
You need something simple, focused, and fast.
You need a Solution Sprint.
What’s a Solution Sprint?
A Solution Sprint is a 24-minute process that helps teams work through a real problem together.
Each sprint is divided into four equal parts — six minutes per step — and guided by clear roles. You gather a small group of 6–8 people, ideally from across different roles, teams, departments, or perspectives. Anyone in the group can bring the challenge — not just the team leader.
This creates space for creativity and contribution from people who are rarely asked for their perspective. It also gives quiet thinkers, frontline staff, and more reserved team members a structure that supports clear, meaningful participation.
The Four Steps
Step 1: Present the Problem (6 minutes)
The Problem Presenter explains a specific, real challenge they are facing. No interruptions. No discussion. The group stays completely silent for all six minutes. If the presenter finishes early, the silence remains. This ensures space, respect, and full attention.
Awkward? Sometimes, but necessary as it gives the Problem Presenter additional time to process the challenge they bring to the group.
Step 2: Collaborative Solutions (6 minutes)
Everyone except the Problem Presenter shares ideas. No speeches or follow-ups. Just a steady stream of suggestions.
Each person offers one creative solution at a time while the Process Facilitator keeps things moving and the Graphic Illustrator captures the ideas in writing or visual notes. The Problem Presenter remains silent, simply listening and taking it all in.
Step 3: Exploring & Clarifying (6 minutes)
Now the group opens up a conversation, led by the Problem Presenter. This is a time to clarify the problem further and go deeper on what was shared. The goal here is not to criticize or debate, but to focus on what might actually work and what specific action could look like.
Step 4: Decide & Act (6 minutes)
The group agrees on one or two doable next steps. These steps must be small enough to try within 24-48-hours .
A Focus Person volunteers to check in with the Problem Presenter within two days. If the solution requires reporting back to leadership, they help close that loop. If the sprint involves a large group, there’s time for reflection and group synthesis.
The Graphic Illustrator hands off the collected notes and ideas to help track the solution's next stages.
Why It Works
Solution Sprints are more than "brainstorming sessions". They are practical, time-bound conversations that turn stuck challenges into shared action.
This process works because:
Everyone is heard - especially neurodiverse individuals and those who don’t usually speak in large meetings.
Structure builds safety - people know when and how to contribute.
Clarity leads to momentum - no wandering, no vague follow-up.
Trust is built through ownership - no one walks away wondering what comes next.
Your team notices - they will feel valued and trusted
Collaborative Intelligence - The group is greater than one individual, and can accomplish more. Check out what I've been thinking about CI.
You’ll often leave the sprint surprised — not just by the ideas that emerge, but by who offered them.
Leadership That Listens
Great leadership is about having the humility, creativity, and structure to let good ideas rise from anywhere.
Some of the best solutions are already in your organization. They just haven’t had space to surface. When you invite others to bring forward challenges and help solve them, you create a system that can sustain itself. That is what builds strong teams, deep trust, and real innovation.
You might even lower your own stress, increase team engagement, and you’ll stop carrying issues that others are ready to help you solve.
If you let them.
Start With One Sprint
You don’t need to roll this out across your entire organization all at once. Do the following:
Start with your leadership team.
Describe the process and let a team member come up with one challenge that has lingered longer than it should. It might be clunky at first, but that's OK.
Run a Solution Sprint with six people.
Watch what happens when you stop solving in isolation and start creating space for shared insight.
Your job is not to have every answer. Your job is to build the room where great thinking can happen.
If you'd like support designing your first sprint or want to introduce this process to your school or team, I’d be glad to help.
About Me: My name is Adam Meyersieck. I help organizations uncover strengths and build practical solutions that support every individual — including those who are neurodiverse. I’d love to hear from you.
