Create a Thinking Environment
Are you facing a challenge and want fresh thinking to find new solutions?
Do you want to get past what seems to be blocking people from making progress?
Are you keen to build a culture of connection and collaboration?
Let me facilitate a workshop using a practical and dependable framework which can elevate thinking and generate ideas and possibilities
I understand the challenges of leading in a complex and uncertain environment and I will work with you to design a discovery-driven workshop for quality thinking and engagement.
Creating a space where people feel that their contribution matters, where they are encouraged and appreciated, will transform the quality of the discussion and lead to breakthrough thinking.
Creating a Thinking Environment is for you if:
You want to engage people to proactively plan and roll out a strategy
You are leading a change initiative and want to get past what’s getting in the way
You are facing a challenge and want to harness the collective intelligence of others
You want to build a culture that is dynamic, innovative and inclusive
You want to encourage independent thinking that can shift perspectives
“Everything begins with thinking. If our thinking is good, our decisions are good, our actions are good, our outcomes are good. So what does it take for us to think for ourselves – with rigour, imagination, courage and grace?”
How it works
I work with you as Facilitator of a team or group workshop or consultation event, or I can design a bespoke session to introduce a group or team to the principles of a Thinking Environment.
Workshops can be run in-person or online
In an online setting, you will experience how using these conditions and tools can energise and transform virtual meetings and restore the feeling of connection and engagement for people.
If you would like to discuss your requirements and explore options Book a Discovery Call.
Frequently Asked Questions about Facilitation in a Thinking Environment
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As a Facilitator, I work with the team or group to co-create an environment in which people can focus on real issues that they want to explore or progress, using a structured framework that encourages participation and engagement. In advance of the session, I meet with the client sponsor and/or team leader to discuss what’s the purpose of the facilitated session , and to hear from them what outcome they hope to achieve from the session.
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This approach is very effective for a Board or an Executive Team who are facing challenging decisions, or who want to develop a plan or strategise for the future.
It also works well with larger gatherings, where the client want to engage people in a change initiative or simply give them an opportunity to connect and to build a more collaborative culture.
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Prior to design and delivery of a Session or Workshop, I work with the Client/Sponsor to understand the context and challenges facing the team or group, which informs my design of the Workshop or gathering. This enables us to work together to consider questions that will generate good thinking in the context of the issues they’re facing and the outcome they hope for.
“The quality of everything we do depends on the thinking we do first” (Nancy Kline)
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When people can think for themselves, in an encouraging and collaborative environment, it enables them to be more creative, more engaged and enables better problem solving. Valuing different perspectives and diverse thinking builds collaboration and drives innovation.
Creating a thinking environment allows people to think in a way that can lead them to shift perspective or to resolve conflict in a respectful way. It can help build accountability, individually and collectively, as people engage in problem solving and purposeful debate.
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When we are listened to with interest, when others are paying attention, we feel more engaged in what we are thinking and talking about. We feel our thinking matters. And this helps us feel that the meeting or gathering matters. When we know that our contribution is being paid attention to, we are more likely to feel involved and be prepared to take responsibility for action.
Being listened too in this way can lead us to articulate an insight or idea that is new to us, that we didn’t realise we were thinking.
And this does not benefit the thinker alone. As people listen to each other’s contribution, it can trigger fresh thinking for them too. As they listen to each other and as they hear themselves express their own thoughts, it can shift perspectives and spark fresh thinking and open up new possibilities.
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Yes, a programme can be designed for an online setting.
Creating the Thinking Environment conditions in virtual meetings is a highly effective way to improve connection and interaction for people meeting online and can transform their experience of interactions and meetings.
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Workshops can be provided as a one-off or as a series of Workshops, designed to focus on a key issue(s) or challenge(s). Bespoke sessions can be designed, to suit the unique needs of you and your team or group.
If you would like to discuss a customised programme, please book a Discovery call or email mary@marypyne.ie