Last month I first time facilitated a 15 hours in-company creativity and mind mapping workshop. I had last summer offered two courses in a "summer university" (one on mind mapping; the other one titled "creativity in Open Space") and Topagunea (an association that organizes cultural activities to support Basque language in our region) requested me to organize and facilitate a workshop for them.
First of all I wrote a message to the CREA-CPS list and I soon received help from Raúl, Alan, Marc, Jeanne and others. A big thank you for all of you!
The workshop took place in Bilbao on the 21st and 28th of May and I find it was a (big) success. Let me tell you why I feel it:
1. The feedback from the group (7 people) was really positive. They liked the set and the organization of activities I designed for them (after some preparation conversations to listen to their needs), the techniques we used, the ice-breakers, learning about mind-mapping, the opportunity to speak many unspoken subjects of their everyday work-life, the topics that arose, the amount and quality of ideas generated and the action planning. Of course there are things to improve, but it was overall a very positive evaluation.
2. I could sense it during the workshop. It was also first time for them in such a workshop, they were, maybe, quite skeptics beforehand, but they felt comfortable, they let go, and I could let myself go, try things I had never tried and feel comfortable and helping.
3. From 0 to 1 is infinite. I find that just doing it (and not getting a soon and strong feedback against it, some stones thrown on my head or so :-) would have been a success for me, as far as I think that one must try first time and then get improving. I'm yes experienced in training and facilitating in other subjects, but it was sure my first time facilitating a creativity workshop. Now I know I can do it well and I can and shall improve my creativity facilitating skills.
I'll share some facts about this experience, specially in case someone who is starting in the field coud find it helpful:
The process: After the list messages and the first great advice for the general design from Alan Black, I received a big help from lots of e-mail conversations with Raúl Collado (Argentina) and other creativity facilitators in my area (Ixiar Garzia from Pink Gorillas and Leire Gandarias from Sumas_y_musas, mainly). I also reviewed during those months some creativity books (Julia Cameron's “The artists way,” Michalko's “Thinkertoys”, Mattimore's “99% Inspiration”, Osborns ”Unlocking your creative power” ...) and took notes from them. I kept a mind-map for the course, where I all the time was adding small details that could help do a better workshop. The week before the workshop I reviewed this mind-map once and again till a sketch ot the workshop was more or less clear.
The Spirit: as Raúl put it, I had to try to get the group to a playful spirit during the workshop. I selected some activities that would from the start break the ice and it really worked. People played, laughed, relaxed and let go. They also got to propose games or videos to watch and made the workshop more open. This helped me feel more relaxed and fearless also.
Some techniques: we just used some basic techniques, and they helped a lot: making a map to explain what each participant faced everyday at work and the main challenges for the organization, brainsstorming, brainwriting, multivoting, cutting and pasting pictures from magazines, forced relationships, mind mapping and open space-like action planning.
There could be more points to write about. Feel free to ask whatever you feel curious about or say your opinion on this (or your) facilitating experience.
Best wishes!
Eleder
BM31_ BILBAO: Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Sormena
Twitter:
@Eleder_BM
