How a 2-Hour 4U Workshop and an AI Assistant Help Stakeholders Prioritize Opportunities

July 7, 2025
DSA Team

The Real Problem with Stakeholder Meetings?

Permafrost.

You’ve been in these meetings before.

Everyone’s smart. Everyone’s well-meaning. The calendar’s packed with sessions labeled “strategy,” “alignment,” or “prioritization.”

But underneath the polite nods and surface-level agreement?

Nothing moves. People circle around ideas. They throw out opinions, pitch solutions, maybe even run a vote. And then… nothing really gets decided.

Why?

Because the group never aligned on how they’re judging ideas in the first place.
There’s no shared lens. No clear criteria. No agreed context.

So even when everyone “agrees,” they’re each imagining something different. Priorities remain fuzzy. Roadmaps stay fluid. The effort feels busy — but not effective.

Most meetings assume consensus is the goal.
But consensus is fragile. It fades the moment things get hard.

What teams actually need is clarity — on what matters, why it matters, and what to do next. And that kind of clarity only comes when stakeholders:

  • Share the same context‍
  • Evaluate options using the same criteria‍
  • Feel confident in why the decision was made — not just what was decided

That’s where alignment starts.

And that’s what the 4U Workshop was built to deliver.

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What is The 4U Workshop

The 4U Workshop helps turn competing challenges into one clear opportunity — in 2 hours —with buy-in from the people who matter.

We discovered the method at Harvard Innovation Labs and refined it through years of real-world facilitation with global organizations.

Here’s how it works:

In a single session, a team of 6-8 senior stakeholders evaluate up to three challenges using four lenses:

  • Unworkable – Is the current situation unsustainable?
  • Unavoidable – Will we be forced to address it anyway?
  • Urgent – How soon do we need to act?
  • Underserved – Is there a gap or unmet need?

The group scores each one together.The discussion reveals what matters most.

By the end, the team is aligned — and knows what to do next.

And in 2 hours, stakeholders walk away with a clear direction they can stand behind.

Now, you might think:

“We already use prioritization frameworks. This isn’t new.”

But here’s the thing:

Most prioritization tools are designed for delivery.

4U is designed for discovery.

  • RICE, ICE, WSJF? Great for scoring items already in your backlog.
  • Impact–Effort Matrix? Good for visual simplicity — but shallow insight.
  • Opportunity Solution Tree? Awesome — but what goes at the top?

4U helps you answer that top-level question first.

It’s built for early-stage decisions — when you’re choosing what to work on, not how to sequence it.

That’s where most frameworks fall short.

And where alignment usually breaks down.

But You’re Already Too Busy

In a world overflowing with meetings, frameworks, and facilitation methods—

Why add something new?

All that prep.

All that planning.

All that follow-up.

It sounds like a heavy lift.

And you’d be right. It can be.

But this is where AI actually helps.

Because while you bring the strategic thinking, stakeholder savvy, and facilitation instincts—

AI handles the rest.

The 4U AI Assistant: Your Co-Facilitator

This isn’t another AI brainstorming buddy.

It’s a purpose-built assistant trained on the full 4U methodology, facilitation playbook, and reporting standards.

Its job?

To turn raw workshop inputs into decision-grade outputs.

Before the session:
  • Frame 3 clear, testable challenges
  • Map stakeholders
  • Generate prep lists and materials
During the session:
  • Guide timing, scoring, and real-time facilitation tips
  • Flag inconsistencies and help navigate tricky moments
After the session:
  • Turn sticky notes and vote grids into a polished Replay Report
  • Coach you through writing an Opportunity Statement that holds up in the boardroom

All you have to do is say:

“Here’s what I’ve got — help me turn it into something useful.”

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The Real Power of the 4U AI Assistant?

Confidence.

Not confidence in the tool.

Confidence in yourself—because you’re not guessing anymore.

You have structure. You have clarity. You have a thought partner.

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You still need good judgment.

You still need to ask hard questions and earn trust.

The assistant won’t replace that.

But it can support you — by handling the prep, the friction, and the follow-through.

Because at the end of the day, clarity beats consensus.

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🎯 Curious how it works?

Try the 4U Workshop Preview — includes 3 free lessons and a look inside the assistant →

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