Workshop D, Moderator: Thomas Epping

• Patterns for Guiding Creativity
  Ralf Laue

  Abstract: This paper presents six patterns suitable for steering creativity in problem-solving in a promising direction. Such a guidance can lead to good solution proposals while making use of the participants’ time in the most optimal way. This is intended as a complement to the existing literature on patterns for creativity, which often focuses on the use of random stimuli to inspire creative thinking. It is argued that using such random stimuli leads thinking in random directions, which is not always the optimal approach. Although the fundamental ideas originate from the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIT/TIPS), which is usually applied in the technical field, patterns were deliberately selected that can also be helpful for solving problems in other areas.
  

• Even more Design Patterns for Approval Processes
  Daniel Lübke

  Abstract: Approvals are part of many business processes in almost all organizations~\cite{Juiz2012,Weerasinghe2014,Jiang2018,Husejinovic2022}. From holiday approvals for employees to coverage of high-risk decisions, approvals are important to the governance of an organization. However, today’s business landscape is changing. Business processes are more and more supported by workflow engines, requiring their formalization. In parallel, regulatory requirements and risk management have led to an increase in necessary safeguards and approvals to stay compliant. Consequently, approval workflows are implemented in many organizations. While necessary from a compliance and/or risk point of view, employees are quickly annoyed by too slow and too complex procedures which hold them back from the work that they are supposed to accomplish. Approval Patterns have been previously mined from GitHub process models and improved with the help of EuroPLoP’s writers workshops to help process designers to balance these and other forces. As part of the first pattern workshop several new pattern candidates have been proposed and mined. When these additional patterns were workshoped some more pattern ideas have been proposed that have been validated and known uses have been gathered. These new patterns are presented in this paper.

   

• I wonder What This Might Be Good For: A Pattern about Functional Equivalence in Organizational Change
  Thomas Epping

  Abstract: The paper discusses the possibly hidden use of established structures in organizations that people might perceive at first glance as wasteful, impeding, or obtrusive such as certain meetings, hierarchical levels, or roles. The paper assumes that such structures more often than not serve a certain purpose which might not be directly recognizable, and which might be lost if such structures are prematurely re-moved, changed, or replaced in times of organizational change. The paper describes a pattern that uses the concept of functional equivalence to uncover, consider, and possibly maintain the usefulness of seemingly useless structures.

   

• GROWing Sustainable Performance through Engement-Driven Goal-Setting – A GROW Framework-based Pattern Language for Coaching Essentials in Leadership
  Phineas Speicher

  Abstract: Abstract. Employee engagement is a critical factor in organizational success, yet traditional approaches often fail to address individual employee needs, leading to persistently low engagement levels. This paper introduces a Pattern Language to integrate coaching principles into leadership-driven goal-setting conversations, offering a structured yet flexible approach to fostering engagement. Grounded in the GROW framework, the Pattern Language structures discussions into four key phases—Goal, Reality, Options, and Will—each supported by engagement-ori-ented patterns, including Psychological Safety, Engaged Goal-Setting, Reality Reflections, Exploring Viable Options, Willingness to Engage, Meaning-Ma-king, Stretch Goals, and Tracking Progress & Goal Adaptation. These patterns provide leaders with practical tools to facilitate meaningful, co-created goal-set-ting processes that align personal aspirations with organizational objectives while addressing individual challenges and leveraging employee strengths. By systematically applying this framework, leaders can enhance intrinsic mo-tivation through balancing individual aspirations with organizational needs and creating goals that address autonomy, competence, and relatedness, mitigating common Leadership barriers such as role conflicts, time constraints, and limited coaching expertise. Unlike generic HR-driven initiatives, this Pattern Language equips leaders with actionable strategies for transforming goal-setting discus-sions from transactional exchanges into dynamic, engagement-focused conver-sations. Its adaptable structure ensures applicability across various leadership contexts, allowing for iterative refinement and seamless integration into diverse organizational environments. By bridging research and practice, this framework offers a scalable, evidence-based approach to fostering engagement, enabling lea-ders to cultivate sustainable motivation and drive long-term organizational suc-cess.

   

• Shifting Mindsets in Compliance-driven Environments: Embracing GenAI for Structured Creativity
  Rebecca Johanna Wullenweber

  Abstract: Regulated industries, such as finance, healthcare, and energy, operate within rigid compliance frameworks that prioritize risk mitigation and procedural consistency. While these structures ensure regulatory adherence, they often limit adaptability and experimentation. Generative AI (GenAI) offers new possibilities—but its integration is not simply a technical upgrade. It requires a shift in mindset, a change in organizational routines, and new models of governance. This paper presents a declarative three-phase framework that guides organizations through mindset transformation in regulated contexts: (1) Breaking Mental Barriers Pattern – challenging ingrained compliance assumptions; (2) Structured Creativity in Action Pattern – applying systematic methods like Domain Storytelling and Double Diamond to enable compliant GenAI experimentation; (3) Mastery and Resilience Pattern – embedding feedback loops and knowledge-sharing into sustainable, AI-supported workflows. To operationalize this transformation, the paper introduces Prompt Pat-tern Languages (PPL) as a procedural mechanism. These structured systems translate strategic intent into repeatable, explainable, and compliant GenAI applications. By aligning GenAI with structured methodologies, this paper shows how organizations can reframe compliance as an enabler of responsible AI-supported problem-solving—fostering sustainable innovation while upholding regulatory integrity.

   

• Process flow dynamics in business process patterns: A typology for use in process design
  Monika Blattmeier

  Abstract: “We do not separate the stream bed from the stream,” explained the architect C. Alexander: The behaviors of people and the geometric structure are interconnected, so the river’s form represents both space and the temporal events. This conceptual article explores business process patterns that are perceived, analyzed, and visualized as whole entities or Gestalten. Sensually understanding business processes – specifically, the collective routines, the implicit knowledge that is expressed therein, and, lastly, their uniqueness – is the objective of aesthetic analysis. Aesthetic business processes are determined by individuals that attribute significant value to the work practices and their outputs. This analytical perspective would like to emphasize the human, the unusual, and the power of imagination in light of the numerous transformations, particularly in matters of sustainability, which also present challenges for business process management. A multimodal repertoire that provides texts and images for aesthetic perception is being developed through the use of a pattern format. To figure out the inherent quality of a business process pattern, one must engage with both the problem-solution scheme and its dynamic characteristics inside the process flow. The article indicates a typology of process flows that emerge in business process patterns. As the dynamic nature of the process flow can be experienced in both the business processes and the reception of visualizations, the process flow type enables the use of visualized patterns for the design of human-centric processes. The value of business process patterns is realized when the dynamics of the process flow are recognized, which establishes the link between what is happening and the process structure, time and space, and knowledge of various domains, thereby encouraging innovative thinking.