My session at the Barcelona Scrum Gathering in 2012. This discusses some useful tips for coaches to help teams maximise creativity through collaboration.
3. Runaway Train
• Train is carrying 250 tonnes of
highly toxic gaseous chemicals
• Train throttle is jammed at 120
mph
• Train cannot turn corners
safely
• Track runs out in 2 hours at a
major city station
• It will take engineers 3 hours
to fix the throttle
• Find a way to mitigate disaster
and minimise casualties
@PaulKGoddard
4. “The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the
same level of thinking with which we created them”
"If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it."
@PaulKGoddard
13. Introductions Using Intuition
• You are all endowed with the gift of intuition
for the next 3 minutes.
• Say three things to your partner when you
meet them:
– “It’s obvious…”
– “I notice…”
– “My intuition tells me…” or “I guess…”
@PaulKGoddard
14. Intuition
“How accurate were your
intuitions?”
“Did anyone find out anything
interesting about each other?”
@PaulKGoddard
15. “Come with me, and you'll be, in a
world of pure imagination. Take a
look and you'll see into your
imagination.”
Willy Wonka
@PaulKGoddard
26. “Creativity is not a talent. It’s a
way of operating.”
John Cleese
@PaulKGoddard
27. Thank you for playing…
…and please remember your
feedback forms!
@PaulKGoddard
Hinweis der Redaktion
Through simple improvisation exercises and role play, this session will provide some useful techniques for coaches to stimulate teams into new ways of thinking by using improvisation techniques. This will be a workshop type session and will involve lots of audience participation. Attendees will leave with a smile on their face and will be astonished at how creative they can be.
“The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them”"If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it." - Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein
Wile E Coyote (1 min)
Reframes the problem. 5 mins in teams. Go.
Dr Evil (1 min)
Reverse brainstorming
Information: (White) - considering purely what information is available, what are the facts?Emotions (Red) - intuitive or instinctive gut reactions or statements of emotional feeling (but not any justification)Let it crash, get people off the train, evacuate the train.Discernment (Black) - logic applied to identifying reasons to be cautious and conservativeMight only have one shot, we have to get it right. Risk of collateral damage, exploring consequencesOptimistic response (Yellow) - logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmonyCreativity (Green) - statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goes
Information: (White) - considering purely what information is available, what are the facts?Emotions (Red) - intuitive or instinctive gut reactions or statements of emotional feeling (but not any justification)Discernment (Black) - logic applied to identifying reasons to be cautious and conservativeOptimistic response (Yellow) - logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmonyCreativity (Green) - statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goesUsing a variety of approaches within thinking and problem solving allows the issue to be addressed from a variety of angles, thus servicing the needs of all individuals concerned. The thinking hats are useful for learners as they illustrate the need for individuals to address problems from a variety of different angles. They also aid learners as they allow the individual to recognize any deficiencies in the way that they approach problem solving, thus allowing them to rectify such issues.De Bono believed that the key to a successful use of the Six Think Hats methodology was the deliberate focusing of the discussion on a particular approach as needed during the meeting or collaboration session. For instance, a meeting may be called to review a particular problem and to develop a solution for the problem. The Six Thinking Hats method could then be used in a sequence to first of all explore the problem, then develop a set of solutions, and to finally choose a solution through critical examination of the solution set.So the meeting may start with everyone assuming the Blue hat to discuss how the meeting will be conducted and to develop the goals and objectives. The discussion may then move to Red hat thinking in order to collect opinions and reactions to the problem. This phase may also be used to develop constraints for the actual solution such as who will be affected by the problem and/or solutions. Next the discussion may move to the (Yellow then) Green hat in order to generate ideas and possible solutions. Next the discussion may move between White hat thinking as part of developing information and Black hat thinking to develop criticisms of the solution set.Because everyone is focused on a particular approach at any one time, the group tends to be more collaborative than if one person is reacting emotionally (Red hat) while another person is trying to be objective (White hat) and still another person is being critical of the points which emerge from the discussion (Black hat).
Be prepared…
One of you is going to hold an imaginary box which is capable of holding all of the gift on earth. Your partner is going to mime pulling gifts out of the box, naming each item as it emerges. Once it’s named, throw it away and pull out another. You can do his as fast as you like. When you get into a flow, you will become very spontaneous, and you’ll just get a sense of what each item is. And it can be anything.Your partner’s job, as well as holding the box, is to simply encourage you partner, saying “Yes, so it is!” and prompting only when ideas dry up. Permissable prompts are “and what’s that over there?” and category prompts like “something large” “something valuable” or “something from France”.“Who was surprised by the amazing powers of their imagination?”“How did you think of all those things?”“How useful were the prompts and encouragements?”
Perhaps do the swedish story here…And ask people to shout out ala CSP style
Explain the theory of an “offer”Do the offer game, with a volunteer, then in pairs, then debrief.
Concept of a “block”
Mike Myers once said “specifics, specifics, specifics” when asked what makes a good offer.