SAB Innovation Champions

Day 3 Guide

Learn to facilitate, then run a sprint.

Today has two parts. First you build the facilitation skills to guide a group well. Then you put them to work by running a Rapid Innovation Sprint that moves a team from problem to a clear experiment in under 90 minutes.

1
Part 1

Facilitation Field Guide

Be the guide, not the hero. Own the process so the group can own the ideas.

The mindset

What facilitation means

Facilitation means helping a group do better work together. You do not need every answer. Your role is to guide the process so the group can think clearly, share ideas, make decisions and leave with action.

Great facilitation is not about being the smartest person in the room. It is about helping the room become smarter together.

The facilitator owns the process

How the session runs: what happens next, how time is managed, how people contribute and how decisions get made.

The group owns the content

The ideas, knowledge, decisions and actions. For SAB, ideas need ownership from the people closest to the opportunity.

When to use facilitation

A simple test: use facilitation when three or more people need to think, decide or create together.

Idea generationHow Might We framingLightning demo sharingPrioritising ideasImproving ideas before submissionTeam decision-makingJourney mappingAssumption mappingPrototype planningIdeas Hub / Xelerate prepReflection and action planning
Prepare and run

The two phases and the 4P model

Facilitation has two phases. Most of the quality is decided before anyone enters the room.

Phase 1: Preparation

Before the session, prepare the journey. Clarify the purpose, participants, outcome, exercises, materials, tools and possible red flags.

Phase 2: Facilitation

During the session, guide the group. Set expectations, explain the agenda, create safety, give clear instructions, manage time and end with action.

The 4P preparation model

Purpose

Why are we meeting? Example: generate and prioritise AI-enabled banking ideas that improve productivity, reduce risk or improve customer experience.

Participants

Who needs to be in the room? Business, customer, risk, compliance, technology, operations and decision authority.

Process

What steps will the group follow? Understand, generate, cluster, vote, strengthen, define next steps.

Practical concerns

Room, time, sticky notes, markers, dots, timer, Miro or board, access to Ideas Hub or Xelerate, screens.

The flow

The Champion workshop flow

Run a session through seven clear moves. Everything serves momentum, participation and action.

1
Prepare
2
Start strong
3
Collect
4
Choose
5
Create
6
Commit
7
End stronger
MoveWhat it means for SAB Champions
PrepareClarify purpose, participants, process and practical needs before the session.
Start strongCreate focus, confidence and clear ground rules.
CollectGather insights, problems, examples and opportunities.
ChoosePrioritise what matters most and avoid circular discussion.
CreateGenerate and develop ideas around the selected opportunity.
CommitTurn ideas into actions, owners, deadlines and submissions.
End strongerClose with clarity, momentum and next steps.
Core skills

Seven facilitation skills

SkillHow to use it
Stay neutralDo not push your own idea too early. "I will hold my view for now. Let us hear what the group sees first."
Listen activelyShow people they have been heard. "What I am hearing is..." or "Let me check I understood that correctly..."
Ask better questionsUse open questions: "What makes this important?" and "What would we need to test first?"
Give clear instructionsUse What, Why, How. What are we doing? Why? How will we do it?
Manage timeTime-box every activity. "We have five minutes. The goal is progress, not perfection."
Manage behaviourUse structure, not confrontation. Park off-topic points. Bring in quieter voices. Stop early judgement.
Manage energyShort exercises, clear breaks, silent work, group sharing, movement and visible progress.

Essential workshop tools

Post-up

Everyone writes ideas silently on notes. Avoids groupthink, gives quiet people a voice. One idea per note.

Clustering

Group similar ideas to find themes and patterns. "Which ideas naturally belong together?"

Dot voting

Vote silently on what matters most. Prioritises quickly and reduces circular discussion.

Prioritisation

Order the highest-voted ideas to decide where to spend time.

Put it together

A 60-90 minute Champion session

MoveWhat you do
Start strongWelcome the group, explain the purpose, share the agenda, set ground rules and warm people up.
CollectAsk: what opportunities do we see for AI to improve banking, operations or customer experience at SAB? Write silently.
ChooseCluster into themes such as customer experience, productivity, risk, new services, data and employee experience. Then dot vote.
CreateTake the top opportunity: how might we turn this into a stronger idea? Build who it helps, problem, solution, AI role, value and first test.
CommitAgree who submits the idea, what needs improving, what evidence is needed and when it goes into Ideas Hub or Xelerate.
End strongerAsk: what is one thing we are clearer on now? Close with actions.

Facilitator checklist

BeforeDuringAfter
Purpose is clearSet expectationsShare outputs
Right people invitedGive clear instructionsConfirm owners
Agenda is simpleKeep neutralConfirm deadlines
Materials readyProtect participationSubmit to the right platform
Timing realisticTime-box activitiesReflect on what worked
Output definedCapture decisions, park off-topic, move to actionImprove the next session
Facilitation prompt bank

Prompts for every stage

Each stage has an AI prompt you can copy, plus questions to ask the group out loud. Keep AI inputs public or non-sensitive.

1. Prepare the session

AI Design a facilitation plan
I am preparing to facilitate an SAB Innovation Champions session.

The challenge is:
"How might AI enable SAB to reinvent banking through new products, services and business models?"

Help me design a simple [60 / 90 / 120] minute facilitation plan using:
1. Purpose
2. Participants
3. Process
4. Practical requirements

The session should help participants move from discussion to clear ideas and next steps. Keep it simple, structured and suitable for a corporate banking innovation workshop.
Ask yourself
  • What do we need to achieve by the end of this session for it to feel useful?

2. Start strong

AI Write an opening script
Write a short opening script for an SAB Innovation Champion facilitating a group idea session.

The tone should be confident, warm and simple.

Include:
- Welcome
- Purpose of the session
- Why facilitation matters
- What participants will do
- What the output will be
- A reminder that the facilitator guides the process, while the group owns the ideas
Say to the group
  • Today is not about perfect answers. It is about making progress.
  • My role is to guide the process. Your role is to bring the insight, ideas and experience.
  • By the end, we want a small number of stronger ideas that can move forward.

3. Set expectations and ground rules

AI Create ground rules
Create simple ground rules for an SAB Innovation Champions workshop.

The rules should support:
- Respectful discussion
- Equal participation
- Fast idea generation
- No early judgement
- Clear decision-making
- Moving from ideas to action

Keep the wording short enough to display on one slide.
Ground rules to display
  • One idea per note.
  • Write first, discuss second.
  • Build on ideas before judging them.
  • Vote with your dots, not your voice.
  • We will park useful points that are outside the current step.

4. Collect insights and opportunities

AI Create collection questions
Help me create 10 strong collection questions for an SAB innovation workshop.

The session is focused on AI, banking, customer experience, productivity, risk reduction and new business models.

The questions should help participants surface:
- Customer pain points
- Internal process problems
- Missed opportunities
- AI use cases
- Examples from other industries
- Areas where SAB could improve or innovate
Ask the group
  • What are we seeing that customers struggle with today?
  • Where do colleagues lose time, energy or momentum?
  • What work feels repetitive, manual or slow?
  • Where could AI help us make banking simpler, faster or more personal?
  • What examples from other banks, fintechs or industries could inspire us?

5. Cluster and make sense of inputs

AI Group inputs into themes
I have collected these workshop inputs from SAB Innovation Champions.

Please group them into clear themes.

For each theme, give:
- A short theme name
- A simple description
- The ideas or notes that belong under it
- Any patterns or tensions you notice

Do not add new ideas yet. Only organise what is already here.
Ask the group
  • Which ideas naturally belong together?
  • What pattern is starting to appear?
  • What theme would we give this group of ideas?
  • Are these really the same issue, or are they different?

6. Choose what matters most

AI Build a prioritisation method
Help me create a simple prioritisation method for SAB Innovation Champions.

We need to choose the strongest ideas or opportunity areas from a workshop.

Use criteria such as:
- Value for SAB
- Customer or colleague impact
- Feasibility
- AI relevance
- Strategic fit
- Risk and compliance awareness
- Ability to test quickly

Create a simple scoring table and clear instructions for participants.
Ask the group
  • Which opportunity has the greatest potential value for SAB?
  • Which idea solves a real problem, not just an interesting problem?
  • Which idea could we test quickly?
  • Which idea has strong impact but manageable risk?
  • What should we focus on now, and what should we leave for later?

7. Turn problems into How Might We questions

AI Write How Might We questions
Turn these problem statements into strong How Might We questions for an SAB innovation workshop.

Make each question:
- Positive
- Actionable
- Open enough for ideas
- Specific enough to guide the team
- Relevant to AI, banking, customer experience or internal productivity

Avoid vague or generic wording.
Useful starters
  • How might we make this easier for customers?
  • How might we reduce this friction for colleagues?
  • How might we use AI to improve this without adding unnecessary complexity?
  • How might we create a better, faster or more trusted banking experience?

8. Create ideas

AI Generate 30 ideas
We are working on this How Might We question:

[Insert HMW question]

Generate 30 practical but creative ideas for SAB.

Group them under:
1. New AI-powered products
2. Better customer services
3. Smarter operations
4. Risk, compliance and trust
5. New business models or partnerships

For each idea, give:
- A short title
- A simple 1-2 sentence explanation

Keep the ideas bold enough to inspire, but realistic enough for a bank in Saudi Arabia to explore.
Say to the group
  • Go for quantity first. Quality comes later.
  • Write every idea down, even if it feels rough.
  • What would make this idea 10 times simpler?
  • What would a fintech do?
  • What would a customer wish SAB could do for them?
  • What could AI make possible that was difficult before?

9. Strengthen the best ideas

AI Strengthen an idea
Help me strengthen this SAB innovation idea:

[Insert idea]

Structure the improved idea using:
- Idea name
- Problem it solves
- Who it helps
- Proposed solution
- How AI supports it
- Why it matters to SAB
- Potential value
- Key assumptions
- Main risks
- First experiment we could run in 30 days

Do not invent fake data. Where evidence is missing, mark it as "Needs validation".
Ask the group
  • Who exactly is this for?
  • What problem are we solving?
  • Why does this matter now?
  • How does AI improve the solution?
  • What would make this idea credible to a decision-maker?
  • What is the smallest test we could run?

10. Commit to action

AI Build an action plan
Turn these workshop outputs into a clear action plan.

Use a Who / What / When format.

For each action, include:
- Owner
- Task
- Deadline
- Support needed
- Output expected
- Any open questions

Do not create actions that were not agreed in the workshop. If something is unclear, mark it as "Needs confirmation".
Ask the group
  • Who owns this next step?
  • What exactly needs to happen?
  • When will it be done?
  • What support do you need?
  • What will we have in hand by the deadline?

11. Prepare the Ideas Hub or Xelerate submission

AI Prepare a submission
Help me prepare this SAB innovation idea for submission.

Use a clear and professional structure:
- Idea title
- Short summary
- Problem or opportunity
- Target user or customer
- Proposed solution
- Role of AI
- Expected benefits
- Strategic relevance to SAB
- Key assumptions
- Risks and controls
- First experiment
- Evidence needed
- Next steps

Keep it concise, credible and suitable for a banking innovation platform. Do not exaggerate or invent evidence.
Ask the group
  • What does the reviewer need to understand in 60 seconds?
  • What makes this idea different?
  • What evidence would make this stronger?
  • What is the most practical next step?

12. End stronger

AI Write a closing script
Create a short closing script for an SAB Innovation Champion ending a workshop.

Include:
- Acknowledgement of the group's work
- Summary of what was achieved
- Reminder of agreed next steps
- Encouragement to submit or improve ideas
- A confident closing message
Ask the group
  • What are we clearer on now?
  • What is one useful thing you are taking away?
  • What is one action we must not lose?
  • What should happen next to keep momentum?

13. Post-workshop summary

AI Summarise the workshop
Summarise these SAB workshop notes into a clear post-workshop summary.

Use this structure:
1. Purpose of the session
2. Who participated
3. Key themes discussed
4. Ideas generated
5. Top priorities
6. Decisions made
7. Actions agreed
8. Open questions
9. Recommended next steps

Important: Do not add anything that is not in the notes. If information is missing, write "Not captured".

14. Rescue prompts for difficult moments

When the group is stuck
  • What would make this easier to solve?
  • What are we assuming that may not be true?
  • What would a small first version look like?
When someone dominates
  • Let us pause there and hear from someone who has not spoken yet.
  • I am going to bring more voices in before we decide.
When people judge too early
  • That is useful challenge thinking. Let us hold judgement for the next step. Right now we are still creating options.
When discussion goes off-track
  • That is important, but not for this step. I will add it to the parking lot so we do not lose it.
When there are too many ideas
  • We do not need every idea. We need the ones with the strongest value and clearest next step.
2
Part 2

Rapid Innovation Sprint

From problem to a clear experiment in 60-90 minutes. Best for 3-8 people per team.

At a glance

Stop circling. Start testing.

The sprint uses silent idea generation, voting, prioritisation and small experiments to create momentum quickly. It is for teams that need clarity, pace and action, not another open-ended meeting.

In one focused session the team will define a goal, surface what is working, identify barriers, reframe the top problem, generate ideas, choose what to test and leave with clear actions.

When to use it

  • You need to turn discussion into decisions.
  • A team is stuck around a problem or opportunity.
  • You need practical ideas for a product, service, process, customer experience or internal challenge.
  • You want quieter and louder voices to contribute equally.
  • You need action steps that can be tested quickly, not a long report.

Core principles

Work together, alone

Participants write silently first, then the group reviews the output.

One idea per note

Clear inputs are easier to vote on, move and test.

No debate while writing or voting

The process protects pace and reduces politics.

Vote to prioritise

The group chooses what matters most with simple dot voting.

Make the next step small

The best first move is a practical experiment, not a full rollout.

Timing and setup

The 60-minute sprint

For a 90-minute sprint, extend the writing, voting and action steps. Keep the same sequence and avoid adding open discussion blocks.

StepActivityTimePrimary output
1Define the goal5 minsShared focus
2Start positive6 minsWhat is already working
3Capture problems6 minsBarriers and frustrations
4Prioritise problems6 minsTop problem to solve
5Reframe the problem4 minsHow Might We question
6Ideate solutions7 minsSolution ideas
7Prioritise solutions6 minsShortlisted ideas
8Decide what to test10 minsImpact/effort decision
9Make it actionable10 minsExperiment plan

What to prepare

  • A clear sprint topic or goal.
  • A facilitator who can hold time, protect the process and keep discussion focused.
  • A whiteboard space, physical or digital, with an area for each step.
  • Sticky notes or digital notes in one neutral colour.
  • Voting dots or a digital voting feature.
  • An Impact/Effort Matrix prepared in advance.
  • An action planning area with columns for action, owner, date and measure of learning.
Facilitator stance
Your role is not to have the best answer. Create the conditions where the group produces useful answers quickly. Be clear, strict on time and calm in delivery.
Run the sprint

The 9 steps

1

Define the goal

5 min Create a clear focus so everyone solves the same challenge.
  • Welcome the group and explain the session is about fast progress, not perfect answers.
  • State the sprint topic in plain language.
  • Check the goal is clear enough for people to write useful inputs.
  • Avoid a long discussion. Clarify only what is needed to begin.
Facilitator prompt
  • What are we trying to improve, solve or unlock today?
Output: A clear sprint goal visible to everyone.
2

Start positive

6-8 min Begin from evidence, confidence and momentum.
  • Ask participants to work silently.
  • Each person writes one positive point per note.
  • Encourage quantity and speed.
  • Place notes in the positive area of the board.
  • Let people briefly read their positives without debate.
Facilitator prompt
  • What is already helping us move towards this goal?
Output: A visible set of current strengths and positive signals.
3

Capture problems and challenges

6-8 min Surface the real barriers blocking progress.
  • Keep the group working silently.
  • Each person writes one barrier, problem or frustration per note.
  • Avoid discussion or defence of the points.
  • Place notes in the challenge area.
  • Remove duplicates only when clearly the same issue.
Facilitator prompt
  • What is slowing us down, blocking progress or creating frustration?
Output: A clear inventory of problems and challenges.
4

Prioritise problems

6-11 min Identify the problem worth solving first.
  • Give each participant three votes.
  • Vote on problems only, not positives.
  • Votes may be stacked on one or spread across several.
  • Arrange the highest-voted problems at the top.
  • Select the top problem as the focus for ideation.
Facilitator prompt
  • Which problem, if solved, would make the biggest difference?
Output: A prioritised problem list with one clear problem to solve first.
5

Reframe the problem

4-8 min Turn the top problem into a constructive challenge.
  • Take the highest-voted problem.
  • Rewrite it as a How Might We question.
  • Keep the wording open, practical and positive.
  • Check it invites multiple possible solutions.
  • Make the final question visible above the solution area.
Facilitator prompt
  • How might we solve this in a way that creates a better outcome for the people affected?
Output: A clear How Might We question that directs solution generation.
6

Ideate solutions

7-15 min Generate a wide range of solutions before judging.
  • Work silently and individually.
  • Focus on quantity first.
  • One solution per note, short and easy to understand.
  • Do not discuss, defend or explain ideas during writing.
  • Place all ideas in the solution area and remove obvious duplicates.
Facilitator prompt
  • What ideas could help us answer this How Might We question?
Output: A broad set of solution ideas.
7

Prioritise solutions

6-11 min Select the ideas with the strongest potential.
  • Give each participant five votes.
  • Vote for the ideas that could best solve the challenge.
  • Allow votes to be stacked or spread.
  • Move the highest-voted solutions into a shortlist.
  • Keep lower-voted ideas visible as backup options.
Facilitator prompt
  • Which ideas have the strongest potential to solve the challenge?
Output: A prioritised shortlist of possible solutions.
8

Decide what to test first

10-12 min Use impact and effort to choose the first experiment.
  • Place the top five to eight ideas on an Impact/Effort Matrix.
  • Discuss only enough to place each idea in the right quadrant.
  • Prioritise high-impact, low-effort ideas for immediate testing.
  • Recognise the highest-voted idea is not always the best first test.
  • Select one or more ideas for action.
Facilitator prompt
  • Which idea gives us the best learning opportunity for the least practical effort?
Output: One or more selected ideas to test first.
9

Make the solution actionable

10-12 min Convert the idea into a small, testable experiment.
  • Define the smallest useful experiment.
  • Break it into three practical action steps.
  • Assign a clear owner for each action.
  • Set a date for completion or review, ideally within one to two weeks.
  • Agree what evidence or learning shows whether the idea is worth continuing.
Facilitator prompt
  • What is the smallest useful experiment we can run in the next one to two weeks?
Output: An experiment plan with action steps, owners, dates and learning measures.
Practical tools

Impact / Effort Matrix

Use the matrix to choose the strongest practical experiment, not simply the most popular idea.

High impact
Do nowBest first experiments. High impact, low effort.
Make a projectWorth exploring with more support.
Low impact
Make a taskUseful small improvements.
Park or forgetLow priority for now.
Low effort
High effort

Experiment action plan

Action stepOwnerDue dateEvidence to collectDecision after test
1.    
2.    
3.    
Sprint prompt bank

Prompts and one-liners

Facilitator one-liners

Keep these handy
  • One idea per sticky note.
  • Write first, discuss later.
  • Keep moving. We are not solving everything today.
  • Vote for what matters, not what is familiar.
  • Choose the strongest opportunity, not the safest conversation.
  • Make the idea bold, but the first test small.
  • What could we learn in two weeks?
  • Who owns the next step?
  • What evidence would tell us this is worth continuing?
  • What is the smallest version we can test quickly?

AI prompts

AI Sharpen the challenge
I am running a Rapid Innovation Sprint on this goal: [insert goal]. The top problem is: [insert problem].

Generate 10 clear How Might We questions. Keep them practical, positive and open enough to generate multiple solutions.
AI Expand solution thinking
Our How Might We question is: [insert question].

Generate 20 practical solution ideas. Make them realistic, easy to understand and suitable for testing in one to two weeks. Avoid generic ideas.
AI Design the first experiment
We selected this idea to test: [insert idea].

Create a simple one to two week experiment plan with three action steps, one owner per step, evidence to collect and a clear decision we can make after the test.
After the sprint
Schedule a 10-15 minute check-in within one to two weeks. Each owner reports what was done, what was learned and what barriers appeared. Then decide whether to continue, adapt, scale, pause or replace the experiment. If the first idea does not work, return to the next best idea on the matrix.
Track your progress

Day 3 checklist

Tick each item as you go. Progress is saved on this device for the session.

0% complete
  • I understand the facilitator role: own the process, let the group own the content.
  • I can prepare a session using the 4P model.
  • I know the seven-move workshop flow and core facilitation skills.
  • I have rescue prompts ready for difficult moments.
  • I have defined a clear sprint goal.
  • I ran the 9 steps and chose a top problem and shortlist.
  • I used the Impact/Effort Matrix to pick what to test first.
  • I left with an experiment: action steps, owners, dates and a learning measure.
Sprint outputs
A clear goal, current strengths, a prioritised problem, a How Might We challenge, a set of solutions, a shortlist, an impact/effort decision, and one or more experiments with owners, steps, dates and learning measures.
The sprint is successful when the team leaves with something small to test, a clear owner and a date for learning. The goal is not to be right in the room. The goal is to learn faster in the real world.
✓ Prompt copied