Know what the opportunity really is, before generating ideas
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In this article, you will learn how to use metaphor and its structure.
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Inspiring quotations are often seen but not heard.
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I facilitated a workshop recently with a team of people who had the task of fostering innovation in their part of the organisation.
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Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it
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As the earlier vintages matured in bottle and progressively became less aggressive and more refined, people generally began to take notice, and whereas previously it had been all condemnation, I was now at least receiving some praise for the wine.
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“As innovation becomes a management discipline, there is a risk that it is seen as the end rather than the means.” John Brooker How can you start to innovate? A while ago I was travelling quite a lot, delivering training courses for a client in Asia. One Saturday, I arrived at Beijing airport and went to the ATM to withdraw cash on my UK debit card. I entered the PIN, a few seconds later the cash appeared and I got a little kick of satisfaction. Every time I use a cash dispenser abroad I get the same kick because I led the original team that made it possible for people to get cash from machines throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa using a Visa Card. No matter that it was almost thirty years ago when we started, that feeling returns. It is this feeling that I want to pass on to others when I facilitate workshops; to get that great kick when something you have put a lot of creativity and effort in to achieves successful fruition. So here are six tips to help you innovate: Don’t talk about innovation. Innovate! Don’t learn to innovate. Innovate to learn. Don’t leave it up to a few. Have everyone innovate. If THEY won’t innovate, innovate yourself. Don’t boil the ocean. Start small and scale up. Commit to move the proposition forward. Tip 1 – Don’t Talk About Innovation. Innovate! As innovation becomes a management discipline, there is a risk that it is seen as the end rather than the means. Many organisations talk too much about innovation but don’t innovate. In... read more
“Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.”
Charles Kaufmann, Screenwriter How can you hear from all of your team efficiently in meetings? Anyone who has attended facilitation training with me, or has read many Yes! And. Blogs, is aware that I advocate you break a group in to small teams (preferably three in a team) for discussion and exercises and constant changing the structure of the teams. I bring the small teams back together as a group to share and consolidate their findings. This approach encourages divergent thinking and allows everyone to participate and have their say. It has much more energy. Quieter people tend to become more involved. Moving people around provides variety and interest. It is usually quicker and more productive than whole group discussion. A wider range of ideas surfaces too because the group is not led by the thinking of just one person and there is less opportunity for people to be bored. Recently though, I ran a workshop where the client wanted to ensure that everyone heard the opinion of each person in the team, at least once in the meeting, because it was a fairly new team. I thought readers might find it useful to know the two tools I used. Ralph Watson, a Blog reader suggested the name, “The Doughnut” for tool 1. Feel free to call them what you like. So Tool 1 – The Doughnut There was a team of 11 people. They wanted to discuss what their focus should be as a team. I placed six people in a circle facing each other and had the rest of the group sit... read more
“I saw the crescent. You saw the whole of the moon.” The Waterboys. Lyrics from “The Whole of the Moon.” Here are five tips to help you bring out the full potential of a group in a workshop. Imagine the moon represents the potential of a group of people in a workshop. When you facilitate correctly, you are able to see the whole of the moon. If not, you see just a sliver. I worked in Asia for a couple of weeks and co-facilitated four groups. It gave me time to reflect on what a facilitator can do to help groups fulfill their potential and to create a Yes! And blog. The metaphor arose from listening to the “Waterboys” whilst slaving in the hotel gym after one workshop. I wondered what the metaphor in the lyrics meant and gradually my mind wandered to the potential of groups. Now that you can appreciate the randomness of my brain patterns, let me share my insights with you about how you can have groups work better together in workshops and so enhance the potential for creative thinking. Prepare and issue a brief I have said it before and… you should issue a participant brief for any workshop you run, stating at the very least, the purpose, the outcomes and the output. I always include a detailed agenda and map but that is not essential. In the workshop, you should repeat what you have said in the brief. It takes five minutes and gives people a focus and clarity. If you don’t brief you risk people: Being confused or uncertain Interrupting the... read more
