About this session
Idea Trading Floor runs a brainstorm like a stock exchange. Everyone writes ideas on cards in answer to one question the team brings, gets a stake of play money, and then trades: pitch your idea in thirty seconds, invest in other people’s, merge two ideas into a joint venture, all to a bell that marks the rounds. At the closing bell the three best-funded concepts are pitched to the room and the team picks one to try. A facilitator runs it for ten to forty people, and it is loud, fast and funny in a way most brainstorms are not.
In person it needs an open room with space to move, tables along the edges and a bell, which the facilitator brings along with the cards and play money. Online it runs with cameras on, a shared board for the idea cards, breakout rooms as trading pits that reshuffle each round, and a digital ledger for the money. The team sends its question a week ahead, a real one, or picks a playful one on the day. It is an ideas game, not an innovation program: what happens to the winning concept afterward is the team’s call.
What your people take away
- Pitch an idea in thirty seconds to a colleague who has never heard it
- Trade and merge ideas with other traders until a stronger concept comes out
- Put play money behind the ideas you believe in and see where the room’s money goes
- Leave with three funded concepts and one the team has agreed to try
- Borrow the trading-floor format for your own brainstorms in forty-five minutes
Shared with you
See the full session
Create your free Workbliss profile to see the rest of this outline and book it. It takes a minute, with your work email.
- What each length covers, 90 minutes to half day
- Everything that’s covered, part by part
- Book online, and browse 1,500+ more sessions for your teams
Already a member? Sign in
What each length covers
90 minutes
Covers all 3 parts.
Half day
Covers all 3 parts, with more time for each.
What’s covered
Opening bell
Every length- The question on the floorOne real question the team wants ideas on, the rules of trading, and a stake of play money each
- Three ideas on three cardsFive minutes to write three ideas, a name and one line each, bad ones welcome
- Practice pitchThirty seconds in pairs, then your partner tells you what they actually heard
Trading rounds
Every length- Round one: buying inWalk the floor, pitch to anyone, invest in what you like, and get investors’ names on your cards
- Round two: mergersCombine two or three ideas into one with a new name, keep all the investors, and pitch it together
- Round three: the twistA wildcard constraint from the facilitator, and a last round of trading under new conditions
- Market reportThe facilitator tallies the money, names the three best-funded concepts and reads out what moved the room
Closing bell
Every length- Pitching the top threeTwo minutes each for the three best-funded concepts, pitched to the whole room by their investors
- Picking one to tryA vote, an owner and a first step within two weeks, written on the wall
- What traded wellWhy some pitches moved people and some did not, and what your team’s market rewards
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later. Need it sooner? Email hello@workbliss.ai and we’ll see what we can do.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Idea Trading Floor
How long is Idea Trading Floor?
Idea Trading Floor runs as 90 minutes or half day. You choose the length when you book. A 90-minute session covers Opening bell, Trading rounds and Closing bell, with a live Q&A. A half-day session covers everything, with more time for each part.
Can Idea Trading Floor be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Idea Trading Floor?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Idea Trading Floor to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later. Need it sooner? Email hello@workbliss.ai and we’ll see what we can do.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.