Tell the story of the work, including its limits

A showcase helps participants and sponsors discuss evidence, learning, and a responsible next step. The photograph shows colleagues planning together; it is contextual stock imagery, not the fictional cohort.

Colleagues around a whiteboard covered in sticky notes

A clear showcase structure

Adapt the detail to the assignment and audience.

  1. 1

    State the question

    Explain the project question and why it was worth exploring.

  2. 2

    Show the work and evidence

    Describe the approach and the evidence considered, without overstating what it establishes.

  3. 3

    Explain options considered

    Present the alternatives and the reasoning behind them; distinguish suggestions from decisions.

  4. 4

    Share learning and limitations

    Name what changed in your understanding, what remains uncertain, and what was outside the assignment scope.

  5. 5

    Propose a handoff or next discussion

    Identify a useful follow-up question and the appropriate owner to discuss it with.

Illustrative participant story

I started with a broad question about improving the whole experience. When my sponsor and I narrowed it to three handoffs, I could show what I had actually compared. The cohort’s questions helped me see which assumption to test next.

Fictional participant

Illustrative voice from the Northstar Works sample cohort

Northstar Works (fictional)

What a showcase can—and cannot—decide

A showcase is a learning and handoff conversation. It is not a promise of a role, an employment decision, or approval to implement a proposal. For questions about a participant’s role or transition, speak with the project sponsor and follow the organization’s established process. The sponsor can identify the appropriate owner for any further discussion.