Getting Unstuck
Getting Unstuck is a self-paced audio walk from the Stanford d.school in which a recorded guide sends people outdoors and prompts them to look at their surroundings in ways that loosen and reframe a challenge they are stuck on. It was created by Tania Anaissie and Erik Olesund and can be done alone or by a group whose members walk separately and debrief together afterwards. The whole activity takes about two hours including setup and debrief.
Facilitation script
- 1
Brief the group: purpose, how the audio works, return time and emergency contact. Each person notes the challenge they are stuck on.
10 min - 2
Equipment check: audio plays or is downloaded, earbuds work, everyone has notebook, pen and suitable clothing.
5 min - 3
Individual audio walk outdoors, each person at their own pace and on their own route.
75 min - 4
Return, settle and take a few minutes of silent note-taking before talking.
5 min - 5
Debrief round one, What: highlights of the walk and what it was like to look at the challenge this way.
10 min - 6
Debrief round two, So what: what people learned about reframing a challenge.
8 min - 7
Debrief round three, Now what: how this will change the way they approach this and future challenges.
7 min
Tips
Listen to the full audio before you run it so that you know its pace and what it asks people to do.
Give a firm return time and a phone number, since people walking alone with earbuds lose track of both time and place.
In the debrief, ask about the experience and the reframing, and let people keep the content of their challenge private if they wish.
Have a plan for bad weather and for anyone who cannot or does not want to walk.
Common pitfalls
Discovering at the start that the audio will not stream or that half the group has no earbuds, which costs twenty minutes and the group's goodwill
Running it without having listened to the audio yourself, so you cannot answer questions or judge whether the content suits the group
Letting people walk in pairs and chat, which turns a guided individual reframing into a social stroll
Dropping the debrief when time runs short, so individual insights are never put into words and do not reach the project
Giving a vague return time, so people drift back over half an hour and the debrief starts with part of the group missing
Variations
Solo: use it on your own whenever a problem will not move, with ten minutes of writing at the end in place of the group debrief. Remote teams: everyone walks in their own neighbourhood at the same time and joins a video call for the debrief. In a long workshop day, schedule it after lunch as the movement break and feed the reframed challenges into the next working session. If the audio is not available, a silent solo walk with a few prompts from the facilitator keeps the basic idea but is a different, simpler activity.
Where it fits
When to use it
A person or team has been circling the same problem for days and more discussion at the table is not helping
A project is in its middle stretch, energy is low and the framing of the challenge has not been questioned for a while
A long indoor workshop needs a substantial break that still contributes to the work
Participants each bring their own challenge, as in a leadership programme or a retreat, and need individual thinking time
You have two hours and safe, walkable outdoor space next to the venue
When not to use it
The group needs to make a decision together today; a solo walk postpones it, so use a decision method such as Dot Voting or a consent round
There is less than about two hours; a short Paired Walk gives movement and fresh perspective in 20 to 30 minutes
The surroundings are unsafe or unpleasant to walk in alone, or the weather is severe; move the reflection indoors
Participants have mobility or hearing limitations that the format cannot accommodate; choose a reflection format everyone can join on equal terms
Devices, earbuds or connectivity cannot be guaranteed and the tracks were not downloaded in advance
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Getting Unstuck?▾
Getting Unstuck is an audio-guided walk published by the Stanford d.school and created by Tania Anaissie and Erik Olesund. Participants go outside alone with earbuds and follow recorded prompts that use the surroundings to help them see a stuck challenge differently. It can be used solo or with a group that debriefs together afterwards.
How long does Getting Unstuck take?▾
About two hours in total, including the briefing, the walk and a group debrief. If you run it for yourself without a group, the setup and debrief are shorter.
What do participants need?▾
A mobile device that can play the audio, earbuds, a notebook and pen, and clothing that suits the weather. The tracks can be downloaded in advance if a mobile connection is not reliable outdoors.
How do you debrief the walk with a group?▾
The d.school suggests three layers. First, what happened: highlights and how it felt to work on a challenge this way. Second, so what: what participants learned about reframing. Third, now what: how they will handle challenges differently in future.
Can it be done with a remote team?▾
Yes. Each person walks where they are during the same time slot and the team meets on a video call for the debrief. Agree the return time in advance and ask people to download the audio before they leave.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Tania Anaissie and Erik Olesund, Stanford d.school.