Workshop: Kickoff Columinity

Columinity improves team and organizational effectiveness through data-informed decisions and scientific insights. You can diagnose one or many teams, receive evidence-based feedback, and resolve broader organizational issues. It helps to make decisions based on quantitative and qualitative data and insights from research, instead of only on gut feeling, opinions, or intuition.

In the past years, we have supported various customers starting with Columinity. Although beginning with a kickstart workshop isn't mandatory, we strongly recommend it. With Columinity, you initiate a transformative organizational change process. As with all changes, it benefits from a clear purpose discussed during a shared kickoff. It helps to build essential support, address questions and worries, and grow momentum for successfully using Columinity.

Overall, our purpose with the workshop is to have everyone...
🎯 Understand WHY it is essential to use data to identify and remove impediments to team and organizational effectiveness.
🎯 Experience WHAT this looks like in practice with Columinity and how it uses scientific insights to support change in teams and organizations.
🎯 Learn HOW teams and organizations can use Columinity to perform Action Research - a collaborative, data-informed process to identify challenges, take action, and reflect on results to trigger continuous improvement and learning.

In this blog post, I describe the outline of the one-day kickoff workshop. The program isn't set in stone and is tailor-made for each customer, but it gives you an impression of what to expect: an interactive experience, packed with valuable conversations.

Interested in running this kickoff workshop or the follow-up workshop "Action Research with Columinity" in your organization? Get in touch to explore the options: info@columinity.com.

Part 1 - Why use Columinity?

Timeslot: 9:00 - 11:00

In the first two hours of the workshop, we explore the purpose of Columinity. We dive into the underlying scientific research through interactive discussions—covering models like Agile Team Effectiveness, Teamwork Quality, and Agile Mindset. Once we’ve built a shared understanding of these foundations, we look at how Columinity integrates these principles to improve team and organizational effectiveness.

Next, we show how Columinity takes a systemic approach to identifying patterns and organizational challenges. With a shared coaching focus—made visible through aggregated team results—you can create organizational impact and clearly demonstrate the value you bring as a coach. We also highlight the crucial role of management and leadership support, how it affects team effectiveness, and how Columinity helps pinpoint where that support is most needed.

Overall, Columinity is a tool that helps teams, their supporters (managers, leaders, coaches), and stakeholders engage in meaningful conversations about what to improve. It’s designed to spark systemic change by triggering reflection, action, and a climate of continuous improvement.

Part 2 - A guided tour of Columinity

Timeslot: 11:00 - 12:00

After clarifying the purpose of Columinity, we move on to demonstrating the product and its key features. Since not all participants have used Columinity before, there’s a risk of things feeling too abstract and missing practical relevance. To avoid that, we offer a guided tour—walking through the foremost functionalities step by step—to show how the product can directly benefit their teams.

We also highlight our Wiki, a go-to resource with step-by-step guides, detailed info on security and privacy, and answers to common statistical questions. Participants appreciate the Wiki as a helpful reference to continue learning and exploring Columinity at their own pace after the workshop.

Part 3 - How to use 'Action Research' with Columinity

Timeslot: 13:00 - 14:30

Columinity is grounded in the philosophy of Action Research—a collaborative, data-informed process for identifying challenges, taking action, and reflecting on results to spark continuous improvement and learning. Since participants haven’t used Columinity yet, we work with example experiences rather than real data. In the follow-up workshop, Action Research with Columinity, we’ll use actual input—ideally from multiple teams, stakeholders, and supporters.

Together, we walk through the Action Research cycle: diagnosing key observations, identifying meaningful patterns, and exploring deeper connections. We analyze root causes, prioritize improvement actions based on potential ROI, evaluate progress, anticipate obstacles, and plan next steps with the right stakeholders involved.

While we don’t draw final conclusions without real data, the goal is to help participants grasp how Action Research works in practice—and how Columinity supports that process.

Part 4 - How to kickstart Columinity yourself

Timeslot: 14:30 - 15:30

Next, we practice kicking off Columinity in a way that empowers teams to improve continuously. This part is especially relevant since most participants are coaches preparing to run this workshop with their own teams. In some cases, entire teams join and start using Columinity immediately; in others, coaches attend first to learn how to facilitate the kickoff.

In just one hour, we work through the "Columinity Kickoff Canvas" in an interactive session. We share practical tips on helping teams clarify their purpose with Columinity and exchange real-world stories about what works—and what doesn’t—when inviting teams, stakeholders (like customers or users), and supporters (such as managers, leaders, or fellow coaches). We also cover integrating Columinity into existing workflows—ideally by embedding it into regular retrospectives rather than adding extra meetings.

To wrap up, we align on Columinity’s core principles for ethical use. We want participants to feel confident and grounded before applying it in their own context. Together, we reflect on questions like: “What principles do we want to uphold? Which ones feel most meaningful and impactful? And which might be the hardest to stick to?”

Part 5 - Interview leadership, coaches, or team members

Timeslot: 15:30 - 16:30

As a closing activity, we facilitate the Liberating Structure "UX Fishbowl." We invite management to join the inner circle, while everyone else—working in small groups—formulates questions to guide the conversation. These range from worries, doubts, and anxieties to curiosity, hopes, and ambitions. It’s a powerful exercise that gives everyone space to reflect and speak up.

For management, it’s a unique moment to show that the data won’t be misused but instead will be used to better support teams and strengthen trust and psychological safety. These are key ingredients for making Columinity genuinely effective.

Even if management can’t attend the kickoff workshop, this exercise still adds value. You can invite a small group of team members or coaches to step into the inner circle instead. Aim for a mix of concerns, experiences, and enthusiasm. This setup sparks honest conversations and helps surface what really matters, laying a solid foundation for using Columinity with care and clarity.

Closing

This one-day kickoff workshop is a powerful way to align, explore, and start your journey with Columinity. You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of the why, what, and how of making data-informed decisions to support continuous improvement. Whether you're a coach, team member, or leader, the workshop creates space for essential dialogues and practical next steps. Ready to get started? We definitely are!

Interested in running this kickoff workshop or the follow-up workshop "Action Research with Columinity" in your organization? Get in touch to explore the options: info@columinity.com.