Are You Solving The Right Problem?

Building Curiosity and Innovation Through Design Thinking

As learning and development teams navigate rapidly changing business environments, traditional approaches are not always enough to meet evolving learner and organizational needs. Recently a client partnered with Benchmark Performance to strengthen its team’s ability to better identify root causes, frame challenges more effectively, and approach problem solving through curiosity, empathy, collaboration, and design thinking.

The result was an engaging, hands-on workshop that helped participants explore new ways of approaching learning and business challenges.

The Challenge: Solving the Right Problems

The client’s L&D team recognized the need to:

• Better uncover learner and stakeholder needs

• Reframe challenges using more generative thinking

• Build practical capability in design thinking methods and mindsets

Rather than focusing only on theory, the goal was to create an experience where participants could immediately apply design thinking tools to real workplace challenges.

The Approach: Learning by Doing

Benchmark designed and facilitated a highly interactive half-day workshop tailored to the client’s L&D environment.

The session combined:

• Practical design thinking models and activities

• Real-world L&D challenges brought forward by participants

• Collaborative exercises focused on empathy, ideation, problem finding, and problem framing

• Hands-on tools such as empathy maps, “How Might We” activities, brainstorming guides, and rapid prototyping exercises

The workshop emphasized active participation, reflection, and experimentation. It encouraged learners to approach challenges with greater curiosity, creativity, and intentionality.

Creating a Safe Space for Innovation

A key part of the experience was creating an environment where participants felt comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and experimenting with new approaches.

Participants described the workshop as engaging, collaborative, and thought-provoking.

“I think it was a great workshop and I’m grateful we had the opportunity to learn and collaborate together in a new and different way.”

The feedback from the session highlighted:

• High levels of participant engagement

• Interactive activities that improved understanding and application of the concepts

• Practical tools that could be applied across different roles and functions

Participants also noted that the workshop helped them think more intentionally about how they approach challenges and solutions in their day-to-day work.

The Impact

The workshop helped participants strengthen both their problem-finding and problem-framing capabilities, while building confidence in approaching challenges differently.

Key outcomes included:

• Stronger engagement and collaboration

• Greater awareness of learner-centered problem finding

• More effective application of design thinking tools

• More intentional approaches for reframing and exploring challenges

• Increased openness to innovative and collaborative approaches to learner engagement

• Stronger, more trusting relationships with colleagues and business partners

The session also created a foundation for ongoing conversations around innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement within the team.

Designed to Support Real Performance

At Benchmark, we believe innovation skills are best developed through practical application, collaboration, and reflection—not passive learning.

By combining hands-on activities with real organizational challenges, the workshop moved beyond awareness to help participants actively practice new ways of thinking, collaborating, and solving problems.

This approach reflects Benchmark’s broader philosophy: helping people and organizations learn, perform, and transform.