Hopes and Fears

The Hopes and Fears activity template is designed to help teams share their expectations and concerns before starting a project or onboarding new members. By discussing their “Hopes,” team members can express their aspirations and what they aim to achieve, while “Fears” allow them to voice any doubts or reservations.

What it helps teams to achieve:

• Fosters transparency and aligns the team’s vision.

• Addresses potential challenges early on, creating a cohesive and collaborative working environment.

• Serves as an excellent icebreaker for workshops to understand end users’ hopes in the product development process.

Who would benefit from it most:

• Project managers, team leaders, and facilitators.

• Teams starting a new project or onboarding new members.

• Workshops aiming to understand end users’ expectations.

How to use it:

• Reviewing: Let participants take a moment to review the Hopes & Fears template.

• Adding Sticky Notes: Participants will write at least one hope and one fear on separate post-it notes. Encourage adding more ideas as they come to mind.

• Clustering Ideas and Discussing: As a group, cluster the ideas and discuss emerging themes. The facilitator can review and cluster the notes accordingly.

• Parking Lot for Questions: Move sticky notes with questions to the designated parking lot area. Review questions when appropriate.

• Gaining Alignment by Asking Follow-up Questions: Use this time to gain alignment, validate assumptions, and uncover unknowns. Ask follow-up questions to maximize the value of the session.