Beyond Brainstorming How to Facilitate Creative Thinking in Groups - 2 Days

Applicable For: Managers & Trainers 

Overview

The aim of this workshop is to help delegates to maximise their ability to produce outstanding creative solutions by facilitating group meetings and brainstorms.

The concepts and practice of Brainstorming have been well known since Osborne and Parnes introduced them to New York Advertising agencies in the 1920's. However mastering the art of brainstorming is not easy.

Brainstorms can easily become a battle of egos between the most outspoken group members or they can descend into a competition to critique every idea before they are fully developed. At worst brainstorms can become a repetitive and unproductive; the same people sitting in the same room week after week re circulating the same ideas.

When Brainstorming meetings fail, they usually fail because they were poorly managed. Encouraging and harnessing ideas requires excellent facilitation skills.

In this workshop delegates will learn how to prepare and run meetings in which ideas are generated, evaluated and implemented in an effective and rewarding way.

The workshop is entirely practical delegates will leave with a deeper understanding of both group dynamics and the creative process. They will also take with them a range of practical brainstorming tools that they can apply immediately with their own teams and clients. 

The workshop will cover the following areas;

• Group Dynamics How people behave in groups and what it takes to ensure maximum participation in a brainstorming meeting.
• Facilitation Skills How to focus a group’s attention on the task in hand and how to maintain maximum participation through out the meeting
• Preparation How to prepare the group prior to the meeting to ensure that they are in the right frame of mind to give off their creative best
• Creating a knowledge pool How to create knowledge and insight to inspire the creative process
• Idea Generation Delegates will learn at least ten different ways to generate ideas in a group and where & how to find alternative methods.
• Evaluation Skills How to engage the group in prioritising solutions, and selecting /deselecting ideas for further development
• Developing Ideas Finally we will examine the ways in which the facilitator helps the group turn ideas from concept to project.

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