Creating a space for people to think

The Good Ideas Agency helps people to work across teams, departments and organisations to solve problems, get unstuck and find creative and pragmatic ways forward. Over the next few months I’ll share some of the key ideas that influence our approach.

Let’s start with something really fundamental to the success of any workshop. Half the challenge in any workshop or project is getting the group in the right frame of mind to do hard, creative and collaborative thinking.

There is a lot that goes into this, from the physical space you’re in (nothing worse than a damp, windowless basement) to making sure people can physically concentrate (the power of timing breaks and snacks!). Today we’ll focus on how we get our brains to be ready to think and to celebrate the amazing work that Nancy Kline has done on creating ‘thinking environments’.

There are five things that I have taken from Kline’s work which have transformed my workshops. It really doesn’t seem like much, but the reaction the first time I used this was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I had emails from participants afterwards gushing about the session. People added me on LinkedIn. People asked me to come and do other sessions with their teams. And the joy of it is that it is so, so simple.

Here are the five ideas that I use in most of my sessions – you might like to try them too in your meetings or workshops:

1. Start with the positive: we go round the room and everyone is asked to say what they think is going well with the piece of work we’re doing. This doesn’t mean people can’t later delve into what isn’t working, but by starting with what is good, and is working, people think better throughout the meeting. They are more resilient and hopeful in dealing with the problems they are facing.
2. The first uninterrupted speaking round: We start with a ’round’ where everyone has a turn to share their thoughts on the first agenda item. The only rule here is that nobody is allowed to interrupt. There may also be a heavily implied rule that people shouldn’t talk for hours! This means that by the time we start group discussion the first agenda item, everyone in the room has shared their thoughts and been listened to. This is critical, particularly when I’m working with groups who are not aligned with each other, as it builds understanding of different perspectives. There is something magical about knowing that you are not going to be interrupted that enables people to relax and simply share their thoughts. It also helps people to listen better because they are not thinking about when their turn is coming, and feeling the need to butt in. It means that quieter voices are heard early in the session, and a greater diversity of ideas shared. I always start with an uninterrupted thinking round, but I sometimes use them at other points in the session too, particularly if things get a bit fractious or I think we aren’t hearing from everyone.
3. Don’t interrupt: this rule carries on even when the ’round’ is over. I’m a terrible interrupter, so I have to hold myself to this too!
4. Explore assumptions: often it is the assumptions we are making that stop us having really creative ideas or really make us ‘stuck’. By exploring these assumptions, and whether they are valid or not, we can often unlock new ways forward. I love getting groups to think about “what assumptions are we making here? Are there any that are unhelpful or untrue?”
5. End on the positive: I end the session by asking people what has gone well in the session and to say what they appreciate about the person sitting next to them. I have found that this transforms groups and really builds and deepens relationships within them. Even the people who roll their eyes (“do we really have to be nice about each other?!”, “I’m too British for this!”), still contribute with enthusiasm. I’ve had groups who have specifically asked to end sessions this way when they realised I wasn’t planning to in a particular workshop.

One thing Kline suggests that I haven’t tried yet is putting people into thinking pairs when energy starts to flag or people get stuck on an aspect of a problem. In this, each person gets five minutes of uninterrupted speaking time, while their partner listens intently, and then you swap. Perhaps in my next session!

Have you experimented with this approach? Or do you have any other top tips you use to create creative, collaborative thinking environments?

Recommended reading:

Time to Think by Nancy Kline

More Time to Think by Nancy Kline