Previously, we defined ‘best’ as projects that performed well in an innovation test, focusing on the relative technology and market risks associated with new ideas (e.g., processes, products, etc.). With the Real-Win-Worth framework—designed for experienced facilitators and meeting designers, but equally valuable for beginners—we take this a step further by isolating the most promising candidates for success.

The Real-Win-Worth Three-step Screening Approach:

1. How Real is the opportunity,
2. To what extent we can Win compared to competitive options, and
3. To what extent the opportunity is Worth doing?

MGRUSH has been a long-term supporter of decision matrices. With some leaning on George Day[1], the following questions provide the framework you can modify for your situation.

“The R-W-W (Real-Win-Worth) screen(ing) is a simple but powerful tool built on a series of questions about the innovation concept or product, its potential market, and the company’s capabilities and competition.” – George Day

The Real-Win-Worth approach provides objective scores but requires expert reviews at each stage. If the idea is ‘great’, but we cannot win—there is no need to go further. Even if we have the capacity to win, if the concept is not worth much, there is no need to go further. As a consensus-building tool, the Real-Win-Worth approach provides a disciplined method for exposing assumptions while identifying knowledge gaps (and areas of superiority).

Successful screening depends upon the quality of the questions you use. Therefore, to arrive at a consensual understanding of answers to the final question about each of Real-Win-Worth, develop a robust set of detailed questions. Because neither Mr. Day nor MGRUSH can tell you how to modify the basic questions for your situation, first understand the intent and then determine what you need to make an informed decision during each of the three stages.

To what extent the opportunity is Real

Consider two critical vectors. Value the feasibility of the product, service, or solution and the extent to which it is attractive (e.g., internal or external customers). Answer these factors by exploring the questions they contain. Eight representative questions are provided below. Rarely should the questions be posed as close-ended. Rather, by exploring the “extent” or amount, you develop varying degrees across the vector.

Typically, your best (perhaps most innovative) solutions will score higher relative to each other. For example, with question 2.2. (To what extent do we have the technology and expertise to make it?) Your range could be . . .  Note the non-linear weighting suggested below, ranging from zero through nine. Ultimately the ideas that score best will pass on to the next phase or stage.

To what extent we can Win compared to competitive options

After determining the extent to which your customer demand and solution are both real, assess your ability to succeed against competitive options. According to Day,

“Two of the top three reasons for new-product failures, as revealed by audits, would have been exposed by the Can we win? analysis: Either the new product didn’t achieve its market-share goals, or prices dropped much faster than expected. (The third reason is that the market was smaller, or grew more slowly, than expected.)”

Begin by reviewing the additional six questions that explain the two factors of synergies and advantages. Then, consider pulling in the results from any research efforts to help answer the questions. Focus on an open-ended answer of likely outcomes or projections. For example,

To what extent the opportunity is Worth doing

Finally, the last stage addresses predictive factors including financial risk/ reward and strategic fit. Financial projections can be general or refined, but apply consistent rigor to everything you evaluate. Additionally, keep in mind that forecasts of financial returns from innovative solutions are notoriously unreliable. Day notes from his research that . . .

“Given the susceptibility of financial forecasts to manipulation, overconfidence, and bias, executives should depend on rigorous answers to the prior questions in the screen for their conclusions about profitability.”

The ranges you need to use should be modified for your scale. Remember that risk/ reward factors while specific, are nevertheless projections. Therefore, aggregate the group input for evaluation since the Wisdom of the Crowd suggests that nobody is smarter than everybody. Here are some illustrative placeholders for one of the nine questions suggested below.

Facilitator Considerations

Consider holding a facilitated session to collaboratively develop your evaluation criteria and key questions. You may find that having individuals score candidates privately, followed by aggregating the results, creates a strong foundation for decision-making. This approach ensures the session is grounded in collective understanding and diverse perspectives. Remember, the highest-scoring idea(s) may not automatically win, but it’s essential to avoid overanalyzing suboptimal options. Instead, guide the group’s focus toward the most promising candidates to make informed, effective final decisions.

Please consider the following Real-Win-Worth questions as guidelines, meant to be freely adapted and customized to fit your specific context. Additionally, toward the end of this article, you will find illustrative examples of questions along with a potential range of responses for each.

Real-Win-Worth Nodes

Real-Win-Worth Illustration

[1] See “Is It Real? Can We Win? Is It Worth Doing? Managing Risk and Reward in an Innovation Portfolio” which appeared in the December 2007 edition of the Harvard Business Review

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With Bookmarks no longer a feature in WordPress, we need to append the following for your benefit and reference

• 20 Prioritization Techniques = https://foldingburritos.com/product-prioritization-techniques/
• Creativity Techniques = https://www.mycoted.com/Category:Creativity_Techniques
• Facilitation Training Calendar = https://mgrush.com/public-facilitation-training-calendar/
• Liberating Structures = http://www.liberatingstructures.com/ls-menu
• Management Methods = https://www.valuebasedmanagement.net
• Newseum = https://www.freedomforum.org/todaysfrontpages/
• People Search = https://pudding.cool/2019/05/people-map/
• Project Gutenberg = http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
• Scrum Events Agendas = https://mgrush.com/blog/scrum-facilitation/
• Speed test = https://www.speedtest.net/result/8715401342
• Teleconference call = https://youtu.be/DYu_bGbZiiQ
• The Size of Space = https://neal.fun/size-of-space/
• Thiagi/ 400 ready-to-use training games = http://thiagi.net/archive/www/games.html
• Visualization methods = http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html#
• Walking Gorilla = https://youtu.be/vJG698U2Mvo

Facilitation Expert

Terrence Metz, MBA, CSM, CSPF, PSP01, HTTO1, is the Managing Director of MG RUSH Facilitation Leadership, Training, and Meeting Design, an acknowledged leader in structured facilitation training, and author of “Meetings That Get Results – A Facilitator’s Guide to Building Better Meetings.” His FAST Facilitation Best Practices blog features nearly 300 articles on facilitation skills and tools aimed at helping others lead meetings that produce clear and actionable results. His clients include Agilists, Scrum teams, program and project managers, senior officers, and the business analyst community among numerous private and public companies and global corporations. As an undergraduate of Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and an MBA graduate from NWU’s Kellogg School of Management, his professional experience has focused on process improvement and product development. He continually aspires to make it easier for others to succeed.