✌ With creative playfulness, we rock!
We delivered a one-day ‘test and learn‘ experience about Design Thinking! And it was great!
🤌 Which recipe did we follow?
👉Take 11 consultants and managers of 9 nationalities working in a mining supply chain leading company.
If possible, make them have ‘thinking habits’ that are more analytical than creative because they deliver data-driven performance recommendations.
If possible, have them come from departments as diverse as Consulting, HR, Marketing, and Finance, and perhaps with a hint of diversity at the hierarchical level.
👉 Add the fact that they used to work remotely, with few opportunities to meet.
❤ Give them the chance to spend a whole day together in a beautiful location with a view of the Eiffel Tower and Parisian buildings (merci @Comet Etoile)
👉 Answer a major challenge: experiment and learn the basics of design thinking (Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) in just one day!
😎 Increase the difficulty level by asking them to put themselves in a meta-analysis position and (while they learn it) apply the design thinking process to their team dynamics.
Create a progression by asking them to generate ideas to improve the way they work together.
🎈 Then add much playfulness so that combining all these variables becomes enjoyable and motivating despite the complexity (thank you #seriousplay).
👏 You will have a beautiful Design Thinking initiation workshop in play & learn mode.
An opportunity for participants to learn the process, generate ideas for solutions and create a greater sense of teamwork.
In particular:
- Reflecting together on team dynamics while experiencing them at the same time
- Getting to know oneself better (introspective intelligence) by observing one’s ease and difficulties in dealing with new approaches and ideas
- Identifying and integrating different thinking and working styles (interpersonal intelligence) by observing and interacting with colleagues and superiors
- Learning quickly to reflect and generate strategies that respond to a real and identified need
- Working in a pleasant and still producting way
- Involving emotions, empathy, and fun in production processes
🎓 From the facilitation point of view, the challenge was to keep the proper posture while alternating facilitation and training.
It confirms what my friend and colleague Laetitia Ramberti call the importance of the ‘joy of doing.’
Working and tackling a complex workshop can seem complicated and is undoubtedly tiring for the participants and the facilitator because it requires a high concentration throughout the day.
But suppose the design is well thought out, with a balanced pedagogical progression, rhythm, and playful activities that suit the group’s style (and in which the facilitator feels comfortable).
Thanks to play dynamics, the pleasure of interacting and achieving a common goal overcomes fatigue.
And participants stay engaged until the end of the day and would even like more time to go further.
🙏 Here are some feedback from participants:
- “An interactive, creative collaboration approach to solution finding.”
- “The opportunity to apply the theory to practical issues we are dealing with in the team.”
- “I learned more about colleagues, how they work, how they interact with others as opposed to our regular online work method.”
- “I enjoyed working with colleagues with whom I don’t normally collaborate.”
- “I feel like I approach challenges with a new perspective, opening my mind to broader possibilities.”
- “I got reminded of my creative side that I do not get to use in my job very often. I also realized that this is up to me to create opportunities for better collaboration and creative problem solving with my teammates”.
🙏 🙏 🙏 A heartfelt thank you to all the RCS Global participants for their dynamic presence and especially to Ryan Matthew for his trust and collaboration in the construction of the workshop.
Hard FUN and pleasant WORK to play and evolve in the @PLAYNBE style.
#seriousplay #designthinking #facilitation #teamwork