Preparing for the Joule Agent Discovery Workshop

The Joule Agent Discovery Workshop is designed to be a short, focused working session that doesn’t require extensive preparation. However, a few key steps beforehand can help everything run smoothly and ensure participants get the most out of the experience.

Let’s walk through what you’ll need to prepare in five steps:

It's best to hold this workshop at the start of a project, when teams are just beginning to explore where agentic technology could create value. That’s why it’s important to invite decision-makers from departments or teams interested in discovering AI agent opportunities.

If possible, invite an expert for the introductory session on agentic technology at the beginning of the workshop. This part of the workshop should explain what agents are, how they differ from traditional automation or AI solutions, and show real-world examples to spark inspiration.

It’s also a good idea to include technical experts or members of the team who might later implement the agentic solutions. Their input helps keep ideas grounded in what is technically feasible.

The workshop works best in small breakout teams of 3-6 people, so plan for distributing participants in teams in case of a larger audience. Each team should focus on a single area, like a department (for example, finance) or a topic ( for example, invoice processing). Make sure you have one facilitator (coach) per team to support the group through the exercises.

Participants don’t need to bring anything to the session. However, if time is tight, you can ask them to fill out the "Activity to Streamline" template in advance. If you choose this option, plan a 30-minute briefing session beforehand to walk participants through how to complete it using the ideation cards.

Send out calendar invitations well in advance, including the objectives, a simplified agenda, and, if the session is virtual, the link to the video conference and the Mural board.

And finally, be clear about the purpose of the session: it’s about generating and selecting promising agentic ideas, not designing or building agents. That part comes later.

The workshop is flexible and can be adapted based on available time and group size.

One of the main factors affecting time is how many participants are in each breakout team. Sharing and discussing ideas takes time. Aim for no more than 6 people per team and plan for 3-5 minutes per person to share their ideas.

If you have multiple teams, remember to include time in the agenda for teams to share their results with each other.

For workshops lasting more than 2.5 hours, build in at least one break of 10 minutes to help everyone stay focused.

If you’re running the session on-site, consider displaying a simplified agenda on a flipchart so that everyone can see the flow.

Choose a room with enough space to accommodate your teams comfortably.

Each team will need:

• A table large enough for 3-6 people.
• A whiteboard or vertical surface to place the prioritization graph.

(If wall space is limited, the graph can also be placed flat on the table. This allows for easier repositioning of ideas.)

You’ll also need a screen or projector to present the introduction session on agentic technology and explain the exercises.

For virtual sessions, create one Mural board per breakout team using the provided template. Invite participants to the Mural board in advance and ensure they can access it.

It’s strongly recommended to run the workshop either fully on-site or fully virtual – avoid hybrid formats as they’re harder to manage and might reduce participant engagement.

For on-site workshops, prepare the following printed materials:

• 3 copies of the "Activity to Streamline" template per participant (A4) (now called Automation Scenario template)

• 1 set of Agentic Use Case Ideation Cards per team (A6)

• 3 copies of the "Agentic Use Case" template per team (A3)

• 1 agenda sheet per coach (A4)

• 1 set of Agentic Potential Decision Cards per team (A6)

"Also, prepare the prioritization graph ahead of time." ahead of time. You can draw it on a whiteboard or flipchart or print it on A0 paper and pin it up. Under the horizontal axis, place the Agentic Potential Decision Cards as follows:

Give each participant a thick pen so that their input is easy to read and provide every team with sticky notes. Have magnets or tape on hand for hanging materials.

Each breakout team should have a coach to guide them through the session. Make sure all coaches are familiar with the exercises, the flow, and their role. Everything they need is in the facilitation guide or included in the Mural board.

If the workshop is part of a larger event and you can’t assign one coach per team, use central moderation. In that case, explain each exercise from a central stage before participants start working. Avoid introducing too many exercises at once – it’s easier for teams to stay on track when instructions are delivered step by step.

Also be sure to distribute the templates and instruction sheets for each exercise to all teams in advance.

With these preparations in place, you’ll be set up for a productive and engaging workshop – one that helps teams to surface valuable, actionable ideas for agentic technology.