Speed Thinking is for time-poor individuals, groups & teams that want to become more productive, innovative and energised. Stop procrastinating & just start!
In my doctoral research on Creative Organisations I asked both profit and non-profit leaders what does an ideal creative environment look like? They answered with the following 6 insights: 1. It is open and receptive to ideas. It is not enough to produce big, new ideas but an innovative culture has to be open to…
We have all run or participated in brainstorming sessions. Most unfortunately don’t work (but that is another story). I have been facilitating them for the past 15 years and here are my guidelines: 1. Make the challenge a compelling one. You want people to be engaged right from the start so set out clearly what…
A Blitz and meeting are two different tools that are suited for different purposes, much like a hammer and a spade are used for a specific requirement. Together they form a more complete tool kit. A Blitz is 15 minutes or less; a meeting usually 1 hour. A Blitz is 6 people or less; a…
To fulfil your potential is one of the goals of life. If you are a leader, coach or teacher your mission (I imagine) is to help others fulfil their potential. What stops us is often our self-limiting beliefs and our inner critical voice. I have found that one of the best ways to over-come this…
We have run two Blitz pilot programs with a major freight company and an international hotel in recent months. Whilst the numbers are small in our pre & post surveys we have found noticeable improvements in the statements: – We are very time-efficient in our group work. - We make decisions quickly. – We innovate across…
Imagine if you could take the best bits of Brainstorming and mix it with the positive elements of a meeting. Imagine if this tool was quick, easily learned and could be applied to most everyday situations. Imagine calling a Blitz rather than a hour long meeting to get something done. Then you have some idea…
If you are about to embark on an innovation journey and/or you have not much success then perhaps you should consider these three questions. These are simple, practical and can help you build a solid starting platform. 1. What does innovation mean in your business? There are many definitions of innovation but what you have…
For most people giving a presentation is one of their greatest fears. I suspect most people can handle this but what they really worry about is being ‘put on the spot.’ It could be an unexpected or difficult question. Or a comment or interjection from the audience. How to handle this situation? Here are some…
As I write this post I am watching The Australian Open Tennis Tournament. Then it hit me. Tennis is a lot like work (and life) really. Tennis is a game where there is calm (e.g. the change over), some activity (walking between points) and then a flurry of kinetic energy (e.g. serving and rallying). This…
I just read the following tweet from a frustrated student; Group projects: one person does all the work. Everyone takes credit. Does this sound familiar? In my 10 years of teaching at a graduate level (part-time) in a business school the most common area of complaint was with group work. Some of the issues were to do…
