A Non-Creative’s Guide To Sparking Imagination In Meetings

Here’s an edited extract from Go For Bold: How to create powerful strategy in uncertain times (Major Street $29.95) by facilitator, speaker and strategist, Rosie Yeo (main photo)…
You don’t have to be a portfolio-carrying arts-school graduate to inspire curiosity and imagination in meetings. Here are some simple suggestions to inspire creativity.
1. New setting, different views
Leave the everyday meeting room and go somewhere different. Find somewhere beautiful, or at least somewhere with windows! Use space differently. Do away with a boardroom table, and possibly with every table. Move between different spaces. If you’re operating virtually, you can still change the view. Ask people to start the meeting with a backdrop chosen to highlight a key opportunity, or ask everyone to wear themed clothing; if you have budget and time, send them team sweatshirts.
2. Play with time
Traditional agendas with too much detail can mean that people enter the meeting with pre-determined views about the end point (‘I’ll agree with item 1, oppose item 2 and am not interested in item 3 because it’s only a 20-minute discussion’). If you’re the facilitator of the conversation, you need a clear and very detailed plan – but participants don’t need to know everything in advance. Write your agenda as a barebones outline, or even as a series of questions.
Vary your speed. Incorporate some rapid-fire questions and answers, as well as opportunities for thoughtful reflection.
3. Become more T-shaped
Invite a guest speaker with an alternative perspective to shake up the conversation before it starts. Provide interesting pre-reading material.
4. Spark imagination by phrasing questions differently
Be more specific. For example, asking broadly ‘What are your team’s strengths?’ often prompts a laundry list of people’s ideal strengths (for example: innovative, friendly, motivated, problem-solving). A more specific question could be, ‘What’s one way this organisation/team is better than the last place you worked?’
Start more questions with ‘Imagine …’ or ‘What if…’ to allow creative thought. For example: ‘What if a competitor were starting up a new organisation to do our work today; how would they do it smarter?’ Imagine in three years’ time this problem doesn’t exist. What has changed for the better?’
Encourage out-there thinking before you narrow things down. Include both positive and negative extremes. For example: ‘What would it look like if we could succeed beyond our wildest dreams?’
“What are the worst things that could happen?”
“If money were no object, what would we do differently?”
“If we only had $10 and the contents of a fridge, how would we solve our problem?”
5. Help people let their guard down
There is a time for responsible, rational decision-making, but it’s not at the start of a strategy session. Walk the group through an opening series of visualisation discussions, without prescribed results, and you may be surprised by the ideas that can bloom during open-ended discussions.
Ask people to draw an image (using no more than three words) of the organisation’s best future and then describe what they’ve drawn. Use imagery or objects to prompt responses. Show a series of photos and ask, “Which of these photos best reflects our organisation’s current lifecycle stage and why?”
Please login with linkedin to comment
Rosie YeoLatest News

Three Customer Retention Strategies That Can Help Australian Businesses Build Long-Term Loyalty
In this opinion piece, Patrick Sim, senior vice president for the APAC and MEA regions at Epsilon (pictured above), talks about ways companies can go about building lasting relationships with their clients. If there’s one thing that companies have learnt from the pandemic is the importance of keeping customers happy and having them continuously come […]

Meta Says There Are ‘Serious Times Ahead’ For Its Workers
Everyone's CFO says the exact same thing after he finally finishes shredding tax documents.

“Call Me Bruh!” Kanye West Threatens Legal Action Against Aussie Burger Joint
The temptation to make a gold digger joke here is strong, but thankfully we aren't witty enough to think of one.

Your Wish Is Our Command! More Time To Enter Best Of The Best Presented By Finecast
Think your better then everyone? But, it's awkward to bring up in meetings! We have the outlet for you.

The Growth Activists Help Bassike Reach B Corp Status
In exchange for helping bassike reach B Corp, TGA expects free invites to the inevitable party celebrating the status.

Enero Announces Two Key Acquisitions In ROI DNA And GetIT
It's very challenging to take Enero group seriously when their ASX tag is literally just 'EGG'.

Seven Moves To Terminate Broadcasting Partnership With Cricket Australia
Imagine not wanting to show a full season of cricket where each game can easily go on for around four hours!

New Study From Redcat And Impact Data Finds Customer Marketing Sweet Spot
The study makes no mention of how many times you can drunk dial a customer before they start blocking your number.

Thursday TV Wrap: Leigh Sales Farewells 7.30 With 572,000 Eyeballs Watching
With Sales signing off, Tracey Grimshaw might now be the offical Queen of blazers and looking slightly concerned.

Charlie Short Appointed As Head of Growth At Revolut Australia
Revolut appears to have gotten most of the way through revolution and then given up right at the conclusion.

Transforming C-Suite Leaders into Empathy Officers Can Deliver Unmatched Business Success
If your management style is modelled after Cruella de Vil. You can keep your coats, but you should try being nicer.

News Corp Australia Increases Its Investment In Medium Rare Content Agency
Much like betting on horses, News Corp realises that since they're in for eighty, they may as well be in for a hundred.

“Bittersweet!” Nelson Aspen Hands In His Two Week Notice To Sunrise
Aspen now calling in sick, stealing office pens and finally telling the cash cow what he really thinks of him.

Non-Alcoholic Brand Lyre’s Goes Live With ‘Make It A Lyre’s’ Campaign Via The Kinetic Agency
Non-alcoholic is a term guaranteed to cause moans in the B&T team, but the animals in the ad are cute, so this one's ok.

Social Motive Gives Tangle Teezer Australia A Fresh New Do On Social Media
Social Motive could have been the name for a new branch of the climate change awareness movement. Missed opportunity.

InMobi Integrates Mobile Supply With Yahoo’s Demand-Side Platform For Direct Advertiser Access
It seems like the good people at InMobi have finally decided to go all Yahoo on us.

From “Little Things” Big Change Happens; NSW Government’s Multi-Partner Media Campaign Via UM
Here at B&T we like our medical advice from our footy stars and our spiritual advice from our reality stars.

“Very Proud!” Neighbours’ EP Jason Herbison On Saying Goodbye To Ramsay St
Neighbours will be there for one another! Until someone makes a noise complaint then Grimshaw gets a call.

First-Ever D&AD Shift With Google In Sydney Ends With Showcase By Google, Adidas And Kua
We can only assume the Sick Bay mural is more Banksy inspired than Pepper Pig. Though the pig has more cache than Banksy

It’s Not Too Late To Apply For The Shopping Category At The Australian Impact Awards Powered By Wavia!
Think you've missed your chance at fame, glory and Linkedin bragging rights. Think again.

Dynata’s Latest Economic Crossroads Report Shows Consumer Trends From Around The Globe
Across the world, rising costs are causing anxiety and financial struggles for consumers. The worldwide impact of inflation is affecting their outlook and behaviour. More than half of consumers globally are struggling financially because of inflation and the increasing price of fuel, housing and everyday goods. Russia’s war on Ukraine intensifies their concerns around supply-chain […]

InMoment Bring Major Updates To Their XI Platform For Greater Customer Experiences
Making people's lives easier one update at a time. Because nowadays it's all about accessibility, right?

US FCC Commissioner Wants Apple And Google To Take Down TikTok From Their Stores
Anyone who wants to ban TikTok clearly doesn't understand how cool Anna Paul is.

Fullbright Scholar Teams Up With CQUniversity For New Opportunities In Queensland
It's nice to know the Sunshine State might finally be using said sunshine for something productive.

“Talk About Soft!” Mark Levy Blasts The Project Over Interview With Climate Change Activist
The world is actually burning, but sure let's be mad at the protestors.

Best Of The Best Judge, Ben Pellow Nabs Group Sales Director Role At Forbes Australia
Here at B&T, we love to remind you about all the fancy friends we have. Mainly because they never cop to it in public.

Visit Victoria And Endemol Shine Australia Announce New Partnership
The new series will allow Sydneysiders to appreciate Melbourne from their couches, just the way we like it.

Sydney Set To Host South By Southwest Festival For 2023
This comes as part of a wider plan to steal Texan culture, with Sydney set to take on plentiful Cowboy boots and rodeos.

Nine’s Big Dog Mike Sneesby Announces EOFY2022 Bonuses For Permanent Staff
Bonuses were decided after staff declined MAFS merch as a thank you.

Tony Armstrong Reveals The ABC’s Reaction To His OnlyFans Account
Armstrong proving that even a Logie can't save you from boring meetings with your bosses.

Wednesday TV Wrap: MasterChef Owns Demos But Nine Dines Out On The Night
Thank you MasterChef for normalising cooking while crying.

FutureBrand Australia Grows, Makes Two Senior Appointments
Bringing the "future" to Australia's business industry.

Sedona Lands Cinnamon Darvall As Executive Producer
If Sedona can acquire some Milk, Eggs and Flour as well, they'd be on their way to a nice crepe recipe in the C suite.

Jaywing And Frank Digital Nab Rai Campbell For Commercial Director Role
Campbell will be called to drive the Jaywing to success. That's not a phrase out of a sci-fi series by the way.

Are Media Launch Body Positivity Initiative ‘BODFest’ With OGX Haircare
Cause there's nothing that will make you feel better about yourself than seeing Em Rata on stage.

Quantcast Launches New Advertising Solutions For Marketers
With the rate at which Quantcast is attempting to solve problems, Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea may need to get in touch