Crazy 4s: Unlock challenges quickly

A quick, structured exercise to capture challenges, used in Publisherspeak’s unconference-style breakout sessions

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Crazy 4s: The what and why

The Crazy 4s exercise is a rapid ideation technique designed to help teams quickly identify challenges related to a problem statement. In just a few minutes, participants list four challenges each, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are captured. This playbook provides a step-by-step guide to running Crazy 4s effectively, including setup, timing, facilitation tips, and ways to use the results.

Download our playbook below to run a Crazy 4s exercise with your team!

Download the crazy 4s playbook

Download the Crazy 4s Playbook for clear instructions, facilitator guidance, and printable templates.

Want to talk about challenges and change management? Let’s connect—Book a chat with our team here. We would love to hear your thoughts and explore ideas together.

What's inside the playbook

Step-by-step guidance

Discover how to run a Crazy 4s session, from setup and timing to facilitation tips that keep the energy high. The playbook walks you through each stage so your group can surface meaningful challenges quickly and collaboratively.

Seamless manuscript structuring and cleanup
Grammar and style checks

Ready-to-use templates

Save time with printable worksheets and adaptable formats for in-person or virtual sessions. The playbook provides everything you need to capture challenges clearly and turn them into actionable insights.

Explore the Publisherspeak community

At Kriyadocs, we created the Publisherspeak community to elevate scholarly publishing collaboratively. Each year, we host our unconference-style gatherings in the US and the UK, creating space for open conversations and collaborative problem-solving in scholarly publishing.

Alongside the event, The Publisherspeak Podcast brings industry voices together year-round to share experiences, insights, and new ideas.

Explore the community here.

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