4 The ingredients of collaborative modeling

This chapter covers

  • The collaborative modeling stages
  • Sensemaking during collaborative modeling sessions
  • The effect of using check-in and check-out
  • The collaboration styles you can use during sessions

Our first collaborative modeling sessions didn’t go so well. We were part of a development team, and as a developer, architect, and so on, we could see the huge benefit that collaborative modeling and its tools could bring us, but we had a hard time convincing other people of its power. Mistakes were made along the way, and they were ours. Over time, we adapted and discovered an approach that worked well. In this chapter, we’ll share that approach with you, so you can learn from our experiences (and avoid these mistakes). We’ll describe the following six stages we use to organize a successful collaborative modeling session:

  1. Preparation
  2. Check-in
  3. Modeling with tools
  4. Check-out
  5. Retrospective
  6. Communication and documentation

4.1 The collaborative modeling stages

4.1.1 Why use our stages?

4.1.2 The stages

4.2 Preparing for a session

4.2.1 Preparing the content

4.2.2 Preparing the space

4.3 Sensemaking

4.3.1 Conscious and unconscious minds

4.3.2 Opening up conversations

4.3.3 What is sensemaking?

4.3.4 Why would you do sensemaking?

4.3.5 In-person or remote?

4.3.6 Premortem

4.4 Check-in and check-out

4.4.1 What is a check-in and check-out?

4.4.2 Characteristics of a check-in and check-out

4.5.1 Together, Alone